Painful Memories: Part III: Consequences
by Sylvia1
Summary: With the Item Holders coming together comes a whole slew of other problems. Emotions are running high and there are still Millennium Items to be handed out. Featuring Kaiba, Pegasus, Ryou, Marik, Yugi, and Ishizu.
1. Late Night Discussions

Most of the seats in first class had gone dark in preparation for the long flight to Cairo. It was going to be over thirteen hours to reach Egypt, but Kaiba didn't intend on getting any sleep. He never could sleep comfortably on planes. Perhaps it was because he never trusted the pilots to be as careful or confident in their actions as he was, perhaps he was just paranoid about anyone else being in control, but nevertheless he had brought plenty of things to keep his mind busy for those thirteen hours: his suitcase full of work for KaibaCorp, a few of his favorite science fiction novels, and his deck which he needed to look over before they touched down.

It wasn't that he absolutely needed to refresh his mind about what cards were in there. He would know those in his sleep. Looking them over was comforting and would help him keep up his resolution to take up the Rod. It seemed silly, but he needed that confirmation. Something about looking at the Blue-Eyes made him more determined to do it. It always was a source of strength for him, though ever since his last trip to Egypt, he wondered how much of that was from the Blue-Eyes monster that he loved, and how much of that was Kisara's influence.

He pushed his suitcase of work aside and opened the window flap so that he could look out into the night sky. Beneath them it was raining, and occasionally flashes of lightening would light up the hull of the plane. It was beautiful, but at the same time rather dangerous. He couldn't tell from this angle if the pilot was flying too close to the thunderstorm or not, and he had to temper the temptation to make a trip to the cockpit to ensure the pilot was doing his job properly. It would probably make Pegasus annoyed.

His phone buzzed and he reached into his pocket to fetch it out. Mokuba had responded to a text he had sent earlier. Despite the fact that they were fighting, he didn't feel right leaving Japan without informing him. The world could be falling to pieces, and the two brothers might be arguing, but they would still keep each other in the loop on things like that. Deep down they still knew that they were the only family they had, which made it difficult to even start fighting to begin with.

 _Wish you had told me earlier. Let me know when you get to Egypt. Miss you._

Those last two words struck Kaiba harder than he would have liked. They felt like a punch to the stomach, like the wind had been knocked out of him, and he leaned his head back against the leather seat. It was a testament to how much their fight had been weighing down on him. With two words Mokuba had rendered him relieved and speechless in a way that no one else could. It meant that this fight wasn't going to last forever, that there was still a chance to patch things up, and that Kaiba's ego hadn't chased his brother off for good.

"Everything alright?" Pegasus sat down beside him with that knowing smile on his lips.

"Yes," Kaiba said as he pulled himself together into a straighter posture. "Everything's fine."

Pegasus glanced to the phone in his hands, "I was worried. You were staring at your phone like there was a fire or something."

"No, no fire," he said. "It's just Mokuba. I'm glad to hear from him."

"Oh yes, I'd heard you two were having a fight."

Kaiba huffed, "I knew Kimi had found out, but I didn't think it had gotten around more than that. She's usually good at keeping her mouth shut about such things."

Pegasus waved him away, "Nonsense. I'm astonished that you hadn't told me the moment it happened. I mean, I know that you and I didn't part on the best of terms, but I thought we were still close enough that you would let me know if your little brother had a fight with you."

There wasn't any mocking on Pegasus' face, just simple fact. He had a good point too. "We didn't exactly part, did we? You just kind of faded away, and I got caught up in work."

"You _always_ get caught up in work, Seto. That certainly isn't anything new, and it's no excuse either. We both knew that I couldn't stay in Domino forever, and that it would end up having to be a long distance thing." He gave a wicked smile that brought up a surge of memories from dark nights in large bedrooms. Seto shifted in his seat. "Don't change the subject though. Why didn't you call me? If we're not lovers anymore, then we're still at least friends. Good friends even, who are supposed to share things like this."

To anyone else it would have sounded childish to be lectured on what 'good friends' were supposed to do, but Seto wasn't as well versed in social situations, not outside of an office or from behind a desk at least. Pegasus had a way of dropping little nuggets of advice here and there that would come back to be life preservers for Kaiba in sticky social situations. "You want me to be honest?"

Pegasus smiled, "Please be honest. It's one of the things I love about you: your painful, prickly honesty."

"I had hoped that it wouldn't last long." He chuckled and looked outside at the clouds beneath them, at the blanket of stars above: crisp and clear in the black night sky. "I thought that it couldn't last more than a day, that you were probably busy, and I didn't feel like finding out what time it was over there. I came up with excuses, I guess. I didn't want to try to explain it because I knew you would see me as the bad guy."

"You thought I would side with Mokuba?"

Kaiba shrugged. "It sounds flighty when I say it out loud."

Pegasus put a hand on Kaiba's hand, one of the few areas of his body that wasn't clad in clothing. He trailed fingertips along Kaiba's knuckles and down the long fingers. Kaiba shut his eyes and took a deep breath. He really didn't need this: Pegasus showing up in his life again and drawing up all those old feelings inside. He had thought it was a simple fling and had put it aside, choosing not to dwell on it. Kaiba hardly ever dwelled on anything. If it didn't affect KaibaCorp, Mokuba, or his Blue-Eyes, then it wasn't worth the time. Pegasus apparently felt otherwise.

Pegasus looped his fingers around Kaiba's hand and squeezed it tight. "I still love you, you know. And I'm worried about you."

Kaiba nodded, knowing exactly what Pegasus was referring to. "The Rod. It's the right decision, I know that, but it doesn't mean I'm comfortable doing it."

Pegasus leaned in close and lowered his voice so that Kaiba could breathe in the subtle cologne. It made his leather pants feel terribly uncomfortable suddenly and he lamented his decision to wear his duelist gear on a thirteen hour flight. "That's what I'm concerned about to be honest with you, Seto. I had to fight to get the Eye to be mine, and it wasn't easy. I spoke with Marik a few minutes ago. Apparently Ishizu had even more trouble taking back the Necklace. I'm worried that it'll be even more difficult for you, especially because you've never taken up any Item before."

"But it's mine. The visions, what we saw in Egypt, they all point to me…"

Pegasus stared at him, "Yes, but something has taken them over. Something is controlling them, and I believe that whatever is trying to prevent us from taking up the Items is also torturing the spirits."

"The Pharoah and the Thief."

"Precisely."

He stared down into the bag at his feet, and at the deck box lying down there. Almost unconsciously he pulled it out and removed his Blue-Eyes. "I hate magic," he said. "I hate what it represents and I hate that it's such a large part of our world. It goes against everything I believe in, and it goes against everything I've learned my entire life. It doesn't make sense, it doesn't fit, and by all accounts it shouldn't exist at all."

Pegasus nodded, "But it does. Nothing you do can change that."

"I know. That's what's so infuriating about it."

Pegasus pushed the armrest between them apart so that he could curl up even closer. Kaiba tensed, a bit worried about what Pegasus was planning. Yugi and Joey weren't that far away from them, and if Pegasus tried to kiss him square on the lips, he could only imagine what kind of reaction it would get out of Joey. Pegasus didn't try to kiss him though, he just got closer so that Kaiba could feel his warmth even through his Battle City coat and turtleneck.

"Think of how it was when they first discovered electricity. Suddenly there was this energy source that nobody knew existed before. It could be harnessed, controlled, and used to power all sorts of things from lights to circuit boards. Think about if we were talking about this crazy new electricity and not magic. Do you think you'd still feel apprehensive about it?"

Kaiba laughed, "I grew up tinkering with electronics. That's a difficult comparison to make."

"Alright then, so you grew up with it. Now imagine that you grew up with magic. Don't you think it would be silly to talk with someone else who didn't believe that magic existed, no, someone who hated that it existed at all, when you had grown up with it. Do you see what I'm saying?"

Kaiba gave a small smile, "So you think I'm silly because I'm afraid of a telephone electrocuting me."

Pegasus smirked, "I knew you'd understand."

"When you put it that way, I guess it is a bit ridiculous. It is like a new energy source, I suppose."

Pegasus nodded, "Yes, precisely. The only difference is that unlike electricity, there are creatures that have learned to live in these magical fields, in these magical holes so to speak."

"No, that's not it." Kaiba said, "Magic is something that is used, not lived in. Spirits don't dwell in magic. They exist on another plane, maybe another dimension. That's how I make sense of it at least. That's why Yugi was able to have two souls in his head. They had a pocket dimension in Yugi's mind. Whatever is trying to control the Millennium Items, I think it's existed in that other dimension, but it's learned about magic. Now it's trying to control all of it. It's also found a way to turn other souls into an energy source, just like electricity."

"I love hearing your mind at work. All you really needed was to get through that block of yours."

"No, call it what it is," Kaiba sighed. "It's fear that holds me back."

Pegasus shrugged, "Call it what you want. I just think your brain is sexy is all."

Kaiba laughed. "I don't think I've heard that part of my body be complemented quite like that before."

"That's a shame. You should hear it more often. You know, it's a shame that we're sharing this jet with so many people."

"Hmm. I'd agree with that," Kaiba sighed and gently pushed Pegasus back more fully into his own seat. "Please try to keep that in mind. Otherwise you're just teasing me."

"I thought you liked a tease."

There came that heat in his groin again. How could a man turn him on with words alone? Shouldn't that sort of thing be illegal? "Just go back to your seat. You're upsetting a passenger."

Pegasus smiled, "Does that mean we're back together again?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "You think that's an easy yes or no answer?"

"I was hoping so!" Pegasus said before heading back to his seat.

Kaiba closed his eyes and took deep breaths to calm down. Damn, Pegasus had a way of getting under his skin. Normally he didn't mind, but sometimes the man was an unexpected assault on the senses. Especially when he kept trying to trick Kaiba into agreeing to go out with him again. He knew that game. Pegasus was incredibly good at manipulation, both in the boardroom and outside of it. It was perhaps his most dangerous attribute, but also quite alluring. Put a mouth and a mind like that on his body, it was amazing they hadn't seen each other sooner.

He pulled out his phone and typed out a quick response to Mokuba: _I_ _'_ _ll let you know when I get there. I miss you too. Can I call later?_

He and Mokuba had been fighting long enough. They were standing on opposite sides of a line, neither wanting to cross it to shake hands. Kaiba didn't mind being the first to offer the olive branch. He hated arguing with his brother, and he suspected Mokuba hated arguing with him just as much.

They had passed the thunderstorm now the were surrounded by a beautiful starry sky and a black wilderness below. Kaiba closed his eyes and leaned back against the seat. Perhaps he might try to sleep just for a little while. He doubted he would be able to sleep for long on this flight, but for the first time in over a week, he felt calm. Despite the fact that he would have to take up the Rod soon, he at least might have Mokuba as a friend again, and Pegasus too. It was amazing how much more confident it made you to have friends and family that cared. Sometimes Kaiba forgot about that.


	2. Coffee and Parfaits

It was still dark when their plane finally hit ground in Cairo, Egypt. Ryou had pulled the window shade up and was looking out over the city. The two had slept through most of the flight until the attendant had come by to make sure everyone was awake and the bright lights were turned on. In all honesty, Marik was glad to be back home, though he did like visiting Domino now and then. He had spent a full day in Domino and his body was still on Cairo's time zone. Even though it was dark out still, he felt like it was only an hour until sunrise, and he was probably right. Ryou looked bleary-eyed and sluggish, his pale hair sticking out at odd angles.

The plane taxied around and then everyone rushed to exit at once. A few of the people Marik recognized as the ones who had glared at him earlier when his phone had gone off. He noticed none of them made eye contact with him now, probably trying to avoid him and anyone else as best as they could. He and Ryou exited the boarding tunnel and headed straight through security checks. As they got their bags X-rayed for the second time that trip, Marik was pleased that he hadn't brought any of the Millennium Items with him. He was pretty sure Pegasus must have had a good plan to sneak them back into Egypt, probably using a Shadow Pocket or even just the old-fashioned paying off the guards. Either way was effective, and Marik kind of wished he and Ryou had ridden back with them just to see what he did. But Pegasus wasn't sure how long it would take to gather the others. Kaiba especially was a wild card, so they decided to travel separately.

A few years back when Marik's Rare Hunters followed his every word, the airports hadn't been nearly as locked down. You weren't required to kick your shoes off or stand in an enormous line behind screaming children and pissed off passengers. It kind of took all the fun out of flying. Once the two of them had finally gotten through customs and the inconvenient security checks, Ryou broke off from the crowd, urging Marik to follow, and stood against the wall to stay out of the walkway.

"This place looks bigger than I remember it," Ryou eyed the long line of weary travelers passing. "And busier." He lowered his voice and leaned in a bit closer, "The last time I came, I had to hide the Millennium Ring in my chest to keep it from getting picked up on the scanners."

"Oh yeah, I remember you doing that."

Ryou nodded, then blinked. "Well the Thief did at least. I don't know how he did it, and I was a complete wreck the whole time I was in line waiting to reach the guards. I thought for sure it was going to go off, and I wasn't sure how I was going to explain it."

Marik grinned, "You had some botched surgery?"

Ryou laughed, "I don't know if that would've worked."

"You hungry? There's a decent coffee place up here that I always stop at. Not _good_ , but decent."

Ryou nodded and followed his lead. "Don't we have to meet Rishid and Ishizu?"

"Not for a couple of hours. Pegasus and the others should be landing soon. He texted me a few hours back." He gave Ryou a sly grin, "Surely we can find something to occupy ourselves until then."

Ryou arched an eyebrow at him, "It depends on what you think we'll occupy ourselves with."

Marik froze and gaped at him, "That's not what I meant! Food and drinks, that's all, nothing insidious."

He shook his head, chuckling under his breath, "Somehow I find that hard to believe."

Instead of rising to Ryou's bait, Marik focused on leading them to the coffee shop. As they dodged in and out of crowds, it did occur to him that there were a lot more people here than he was used to. Maybe there was some kind of event going on. They had to cross a large atrium that usually had a ton of empty couches, especially at this ungodly hour, but every single seat was taken. The place was filled with people.

"This is really unusual," Marik said.

"Do you think it has something to do with that?" Ryou pointed up to a screen near the roof of the atrium that scrolled through various ads normally. This time it spelled out in Arabic and in English: Welcome Duelists! We at the Cairo International Airport want to welcome our regional guests to the Annual North African Dueling Tournament!

Marik frowned. There was going to be a huge tournament and he had some of the biggest names in Duel Monsters heading into the airport in a matter of hours. "Shit!"

Ryou glanced at him, alarmed. "What is it?"

"We need to find someplace quiet. Come on." Marik didn't wait for Ryou to agree or stop to answer any of his questions. He grabbed his jacket and dragged him as they cut through the atrium. Normally Marik was a bit more conscientious when navigating crowds, but at the moment his mind was elsewhere and he was slightly irate. The crowds parted for him, and even kids who were running around stopped whenever Marik got near. For Ryou it was rather impressive to watch, but Marik was too focused to hear his compliments or to care.

They reached a small coffee shop at the farthest end of one of the halls that spun off of the atrium with the vague name The Hangout. It had a few barstools in front of the counter and only three tiny booths off to the side. Apparently this area wasn't visited much, or at least wasn't a major location for the swarms of regional duelists back in the atrium. There was only one other customer, and he was a heavyset guy in a thick jacket who didn't even look up from his coffee when Marik and Ryou walked up.

"Go ahead and get seats, I'll get you something," Marik said, then began talking with the sole employee at the counter. A few minutes later he brought over two cups of coffee and a pair of yogurt parfaits to the booth Ryou had claimed. As he put the things down, he realized that Ryou was glaring at him.

"What did I do?" Marik asked.

Ryou rolled his eyes and turned his attention to his drink. "You're so dense sometimes. I might find it worrisome if I gave more of a shit."

Marik sighed and slid across the other side of the booth. "It was too crowded back there. I could barely hear myself let alone talk to you about anything. I wish you wouldn't sit here and pout like that."

"I'm not pouting, I just…" Ryou sighed and pushed his drink away. "I mean, I don't even like coffee. Why in the world would you just order something for me without even finding out whether I want it or not?"

Marik chuckled, then paused when he realized that Ryou's sour expression hadn't changed. "Are you serious? You've always liked hazelnut coffee. Why the hell do you have to be such a jerk about this?"

"Because I don't drink it. I've never liked it. How many times much I tell you, that was not me, that was the Thief."

Marik dropped an open packet of sugar on the table and sighed. "Look, if you want something else, I'll get it for you. Just tell me what you want."

Ryou narrowed his eyes, "I want you to start seeing me instead of the Thief every five minutes." Ryou lowered his voice to a hiss, "You seemed fine with this on the plane, but what? Now that we're not curled up together under a blanket, now it's a different story?"

Marik dragged his hands over his face to help him keep his tongue in check and to keep him from getting up and walking away. Ryou was definitely right about one thing: he was _not_ the Thief. As much as Marik liked Ryou, he simply wasn't a replacement for the Spirit, regardless of how hard they tried. It seemed like they kept migrating between hot and cold, from flirtation to rage. Already Marik could tell it was getting to him, and he honestly was a little concerned about trying to do this long-term.

"I'm sorry, I made a mistake. You two look practically identical, so I think I'm allowed to make mistakes now and then. I mean, it's not like you two are identical twins or anything, you shared the same body. If you think I won't screw up occasionally, then you're sorely mistaken."

His words seemed to have broken through Ryou's tough shell, but not enough to relax him. Ryou grabbed a few sugar packets and tried to fix his coffee regardless. "I guess if you went through the trouble, I may as well give it a chance."

Marik wanted to ask if he had even tried coffee before. Judging by the way Ryou kept looking over at how Marik was fixing his coffee, he doubted it. It was just like Ryou to bitch about something he hadn't even tried before. He didn't make a big deal out of it though, and instead stirred together his parfait.

"What I was trying to tell you was that I need to call Pegasus at some point."

"Why?"

It was amazing how much venom could be snuck into a single word. Ishizu would have been damn proud of the way Marik was holding himself in check today. Possibly even astonished.

"Because he's coming here with Yugi and Kaiba. That's three well-known duelists coming into this airport at the same time that a ton of duelists are arriving. Can you imagine the stampede?"

Ryou laughed, and despite the fact that they were probably still arguing, Marik couldn't help but smile in response. "I don't know, I think I might just pay money to see their response."

"Well," Marik paused. "That's a good point, actually. It might be damn funny."

"I mean, we're not here to duel or anything," Ryou added.

Marik sighed, "Unfortunately."

Ryou studied him for a moment. "We could always go watch the tournament after we're done with the Millennium Items."

Marik swallowed down a blueberry, "You're assuming that this will be quick. I mean, I doubt it'll be easy." He lowered his voice, "We're fighting off a spirit that's able to battle us for the Millennium Items. That means it's powerful and it's intelligent."

Ryou nodded as he polished off his parfait. He hadn't touched his coffee after working so hard to prepare it. "For all we know it's already destroyed both of the Spirits."

They locked eyes for a moment and exchanged a moment of despair. As much as they didn't get along, they both had one thing in common: an unhealthy affection and kinship with a certain spiritual Thief. Marik put his coffee aside and pulled out his phone. The sooner he informed the others about what to expect once they landed, the quicker they could make alternate arrangements. Marik wasn't even sure where another airport might be, but he was certain Pegasus would know of one. Hadn't Kaiba used a private location when he had flown into Egypt last time? He couldn't remember, but he'd have to hope that he could coordinate it all between Pegasus and Rishid without chasing Ryou off in the process.

Sometimes Marik forgot how big of an ass he could be.


	3. Flight Detour

"Kaiba, wake up!"

He jumped awake so fast he almost bashed his head against the window next to him. He turned to see Pegasus sitting beside him looking distraught. "We have a situation."

Kaiba blinked to try and shake the sleepiness that was still settled over him. "A situation? What happened?"

Pegasus was holding his cell phone in one hand with notes listed out, but Kaiba wasn't close enough to be able to read them. "We're going to have to make a detour. The Cairo International Airport is now off limits."

"Off limits?" That pulled him fully back to consciousness. "Is something wrong?"

"Not really wrong, but unfortunate. There's a tournament being held there over the next few days."

Kaiba chuckled and settled back into his chair. "That's what you're worried about? I thought you'd have gotten over your nerves with crowds by this point at least."

Pegasus gave a thin smile. "Poke fun if you wish, but you'll think differently when three hundred contestants are flooding around you begging for an autograph."

"Or a duel."

Kaiba leaned to the side and saw that Yugi was standing partially behind Pegasus. He hadn't even noticed him standing there since Yugi was so damn short. Kaiba narrowed his eyes, "What is this, some kind of intervention?"

"We're only half an hour away, and we need an alternative," Pegasus said. "I understand you flew yourself last time, so I was hoping you might have suggestions."

"Really? Don't your pilots have a listing of other airports in the area?"

"Of course they do! But Borg El Arab is outside of Alexandria, and in the time it would take to set a new flight pattern and notify them that we're coming - assuming they even have room for us - we could be nearly out of fuel! Of course if you want us to go crashing into the Nile river, that's one thing."

Kaiba shook his head, "Then it looks like we're heading to Cairo International anyway." Kaiba got to his feet and stretched, "I was able to land anywhere I wanted in the Blue-Eyes jet. Unless this plane is equipped with a hover landing system of course."

Pegasus and Yugi exchanged a concerned look.

Yugi sighed, "This is really going to suck."

Kaiba gathered his briefcase and made sure he was buckled in for the landing. Some pilots landed harder than others, and Kaiba wasn't going to face a throng of fans looking exhausted and like he had barely survived the landing. He didn't need a splash of headlines right now.

"What are the odds of there being a regional at the same time we get here?" Kaiba could discern Joey's grating voice anywhere. Even listening to him talk got on his nerves. He hoped that he would be able to keep his cool in front of any cameras that would be going off as they disembarked. It was ridiculous how quick images of Kaiba losing his temper made its way online. Sometimes he suspected a few fans were just trying to get a rise out of him. He pulled a small mirror out of his bag and checked himself before discreetly closing it up again. He closed his eyes for a moment. He needed to put on the duelist persona, and it always took a moment for him to take on the role - especially when he wasn't expecting to have to do it.

The plane finally came to a stop and the pilot started reading off information about Cairo. "Looks like it'll be dawn in about thirty minutes, and it'll be a sunny day with a high of a warm thirty-five degrees Celsius. My apologies for not being able to find a better location for you all this morning. Mr. Crawford told me about the regional tournament. Let me assure you that had we known we would have made alternate plans. We did go ahead and let the staff know to expect some high profile folks to be coming through, and to try their best to allow you to have some privacy."

Kaiba let out a heavy sigh. Why did they always have to warn the staff? That was usually how crowds were tipped off to begin with. If nobody had been informed, then they might have had a chance just to slip through with a few smiles, a few camera flashes, and maybe a small gathering as they went through the airport. As it was though, they were likely to get mobbed. Yugi would be their most likely target. Kaiba was always showing up at tournaments, but Yugi was more of a recluse as of late. Everybody would want to duel the King of Games.

The unbuckle sign lit up and Kaiba unfastened himself and got to his feet. His priority would be Yugi if they got surrounded. He was pretty sure Pegasus could keep an eye on himself in a crowd, plus he had his people on hand specifically to help him in situations like this. As for Joey, Kaiba figured if a few crazed fans got him separated from the group, the better it was for everyone else.


	4. A Surprise Visitor

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Ryou followed breathlessly as the two dodged around crowds and side-stepped luggage, strollers, wandering children, and businessmen on phones. They had just reached the main lobby again and the echo of noise seemed even louder than before.

"Pretty sure," he called over his shoulder. A string of children suddenly cut between them and Marik had to bite his tongue to keep from blurting out a curse. He felt Ryou link fingers through his and glanced back just in time to catch Ryou's soft smile.

"Lead the way. They should be landing pretty soon, right?"

"I think so. Rishid should be here to pick us up soon too."

They had to squeeze through a line of baggage toting teenagers before they had reached the center of the lobby. Marik was glad Ryou had taken his hand, otherwise they really would have been separated. He also wasn't too sure how well Ryou could speak Arabic, and didn't really want him getting lost in this place. As much as their relationship did go hot and cold, Ryou still seemed frail to him and it didn't take a stretch of the imagination to see someone taking advantage of that.

They had nearly reached the hallway they needed when Marik heard a familiar voice cry out from behind, "Ryou! Hey, wait up!"

He froze and turned to Ryou who looked just as confused. Marik scanned the crowd but didn't see anyone familiar near them. "Do you know of any women around here?"

"No, but that sounds like-"

"RYOU!" Anzu appeared out of nowhere and tackled Ryou so hard both of the bags she had over a shoulder fell down her arm, and smacked into him. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you! I was worried cause Yugi wasn't answering his cell phone, and I didn't think anybody else would be here yet!"

"Anzu… hi," Ryou muttered as Anzu released her bear hug. She glanced once at them holding hands, but didn't make anything of it.

"Did you all fly in with Yugi and Pegasus?"

Marik stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder, "Not so loud! You want everyone to know they're heading in?"

Anzu arched an eyebrow at him, "Well it's nice to see you too, Marik. Why the secrecy?"

He sighed, "Just follow us. We have to save them from the crowds."

"Crowds, what crowds?"

"The fans actually," Ryou said. "There's a regional tournament going on. They could get mobbed."

Anzu brighted, "Really? Oh that would be so cool! I bet Yugi would love it!"

"No," Marik added. "I don't think you get the idea of what he means by _mobbed_."

Ryou nodded, "Marik said they didn't bring enough body guards for all three, not if they get surrounded or something. It could get rather intense. Hopefully all they want to take are photographs."

"What do you mean by-" Anzu's eyes went wide, "OH."

She started sprinting ahead, despite the fact that Marik was pretty sure she hadn't a clue where to go.


	5. Heading to the Airport

She could hear Rishid outside cleaning all the extra materials out of the Jeep as she awoke. The morning sunlight was just beginning to turn her room a deep grey and orange light streaked across her dresser mirror. She still felt exhausted, but her skull wasn't throbbing like it had been last night. She had showered and cleaned up before lying down, which at the time seemed an impossible feat, but now she appreciated. She heard Rishid come back inside and walk across the house, heading to her room. She put a hand up to feel the Necklace at her throat and a buzz of electricity hummed through her. It was eager to tell her something, eager to share some knowledge, and was simply waiting for the right moment.

"Not yet," she whispered. The buzz that flowed through her seemed to settle somewhat, but remained just beneath her skin like a bout of nervous energy. She sighed and sat up. She wasn't sure if she had awoken on her own, or not. If she had, then perhaps she had truly healed enough from her wounds. But if not, then it meant that the Necklace had awoken her early, possibly knowing that Rishid was heading in to check on her before he left.

 _No, he comes to ask you to join him._

Ishizu couldn't help jumping at the voice. She ought to have expected it, but she hadn't heard the voice of the Necklace in years. She had almost forgotten what it sounded like. The words weren't spoken exactly, so there wasn't a sound to go along with it, rather the words were just pictured in her mind unbidden. Only when the Necklace needed to tell her a phrase would it etch words onto her thoughts like that. Usually it would simply use images, emotions, scents, any of the other senses. She got the impression that words and language were difficult for it to convey.

The door to her room opened and Rishid stepped in, barely making a noise as he walked across the carpet in his thick boots. His eyes must have taken a moment to adjust to the light, because he didn't realize she was sitting up at first. "Ah, you're awake."

"Yes, only just."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make so much noise."

She sighed, "Don't worry. I don't think you're the cause. What did you want to ask me?"

The Necklace made him nervous. She had found that it had that effect on many people who knew its powers, and she couldn't deny that it made her equally uneasy. Perhaps that was the reason she had fought against taking it up again to begin with.

"I was about to drive to the airport to pick them up."

"Do you think they'll all fit into the Jeep?"

He shrugged, "It shouldn't matter. I'm sure Pegasus will want to procure his own transportation, and possibly Kaiba too. I'm more interested in making sure they can find their way here."

"You could have just sent them the address."

"Those things… can be so untrustworthy. You never know if they will work or not, and I don't want anyone to get lost."

She smiled at him. He was always such a gentleman. It really wasn't necessary for him to make the long trip to the airport and back, but he felt that it was the polite thing to do for guests. He probably felt like his hands were tied with all of this trouble with the Millennium Items. Especially last night when all he could do was watch as Ishizu struggled with the Necklace. It was illogical of him to want to go, but she wouldn't chastise him. She couldn't take away what he believed made him useful.

"Alright, just don't stay away too long."

He nodded and was about to leave when he stopped and turned, a beam of orange light glinting across his dark skin. "Are you sure you'll be alright while I'm gone? If you're not feeling well, I can stay. I could send them the address like you said."

"Go. Quit arguing with me. I'll be fine here. It's our home, isn't it?"

"Yes, but-" His gaze fell on the Necklace at her throat.

"It's settled. I believe I need some time alone with it actually. You go ahead, and if I need you I'll call."

He nodded and headed out. She listened to his footsteps echo throughout the house, then the Jeep engine turn over as he left. Only once the sound of the engine disappeared did she take a deep breath.

This was going to be difficult.


	6. Disembarking

The four of them were standing in a circle near the exit of the plane. While Yugi and Joey checked to make sure they had their bags ready, Kaiba and Pegasus began making a game plan.

"How many bodyguards did you bring with you?"

"Only two," Pegasus sighed. "Neither as good as Croquet either, I'm sorry to say. I really did consider bringing more, but I was trying not to draw too much attention."

Kaiba opened his briefcase and pulled out a chain. "That plan just got blown out of the water. I suppose next time you'll plan a bit better, I presume." Pegasus glared at him, but didn't respond. Kaiba closed the briefcase, and attached his briefcase to his arm with the chain.

Joey was staring at him, "What the hell is that for?"

"Insurance," Kaiba muttered more to himself than to Joey. "Yugi, you're with me. You stay close and don't offer to do anything."

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked.

"No autographs, no photographs, no free cards, nothing. Your job is to keep your mouth shut until we're all clear."

Joey gave a nervous laugh, "What is this? You expecting some kind of riot or something?"

"Worse than that," Pegasus said in absolute seriousness. "Fans." Pegasus nodded at his bodyguards, who stepped forward to flank him. "If you can keep an eye on Yugi, Kaiba, I'll create a diversion."

Kaiba motioned Yugi in front, then followed him out close behind. Joey shook his head, "I can't believe this! It's not like they're going to be packing or anything. They're just fans, even duelists! I think you guys are really overreacting here."

Kaiba turned to glare at him, "How many people do you think are packed into this airport? They may be duelists, and in any other setting, they might be completely normal. But we're about to walk through there with the top four duelists in the world. No suits, no bodyguards, and no barriers. If nothing happens, now _that_ will surprise me."

"Can you believe the nerve of that guy? Mr. Money Bags must be the most paranoid person in the world! Who the hell would care if we're walking through? They probably don't even know what I look like." Joey felt a hand on his arm and Pegasus led him out of the jet.

"If you're smart you'll keep your comments to yourself and stay close," Pegasus said.

Joey tried to shake Pegasus loose, but stopped when one of the bodyguards gave him a look. "What gives?"

Pegasus looked at him closely for a moment, "If someone tries to attack them, you'll promise me you won't dive in and do something stupid?"

"Attack them? You're starting to sound just as paranoid as Kaiba."

He smiled and let Joey loose finally as they stepped out into the lobby. "I do love my fans, Joey, but crowds can do strange things to people. You admire them from afar, and never let them get too close."


	7. The White Mist

The Necklace never did like giving information in small, edible doses. It instead overwhelmed your senses so that you could feel everything, every word, every move. She imagined that if it was a consciousness (she had no idea what it was really), that it would be an excited child just bursting with information and being told to keep it a secret until just the right time. Sometimes it took more than one exchange of questions and answers before Ishizu was able to get all the information, but the Necklace never liked having to repeat itself. It was a bit of a spoiled child, and could be stubborn and petulant at times, especially when it thought the owner truly needed the information.

Ishizu stretched her arms out on either side of her in the bed, so that her fingertips hovered over the edges, then she spread her legs apart to give herself stability. It had been a while since she had communed with her Item, and she expected a flood of information. Since most of that knowledge would require her senses, it sometimes helped if she couldn't easily feel her legs rubbing together or a cramped hand. It was distracting and could pull her out of the trance. She understood what it must have been like for the Oracles of old when they had specific clothes, specific incense, and even specific food and drink. All of it felt important to bring the visions on. Ishizu at least had a tool to focus it.

"Alright," she whispered. "I'm ready to see."

Slowly her vision of the ceiling fogged over into blackness. A large serpent head hissed and writhed around, but it was attached to the torso of an even larger beast. Great wings emerged out from its back and its breath was flame as it burned a forest to the ground. This was Zorc, she realized, but this was not their world. The trees didn't look like any that Ishizu had ever seen, and the purple-pink bark peeled away to a hot reddish orange as Zorc's flames decimated them. Some wild animal sprung out with more than four legs and Zorc's serpent appendage snatched one up and gobbled it whole while Zorc's true head continued its rampage. Then the scene changed. An enormous shadowy figure emerged, this time in a different forest. It darted from tree to tree, covering everything in blackness, and leaving nothing in its wake. It was like a humanoid black hole, and as it devoured trees, shrubs, and any other vegetation that got in its way, it also devoured any animals that it found. She got the glimpse of something that might have been humans trying to run away, but were enveloped in the blackness. Then the shadow beast emerged from the woods and tried to absorb Zorc, but Zorc did not pass through as the shadow passed over him. Instead he let out a high pitched squeal of pain and took several steps backward.

The shadow stopped for a moment, as though curious as to what could have escaped its jaws, then turned to return back into the forest, but Zorc was not done with it. He reached a hand out and grabbed hold of the shadow and held it high. Tendril arms emerged on the shadow as it tried to fight, but Zorc's grip was firm. They began speaking to each other: Zorc in his raspy baritone and the shadow in a wafting whisper that could barely be heard. As they spoke, the shadow reached a long tendril from its backside around to Zorc's tail, and once again tried to engulf it. Zorc screamed, then slammed the shadow against the ground. He then slashed his claws through the air and opened a portal to the Shadow Realm. He gripped the shadow creature hard and then tossed him through the portal as though tossing out a bag of trash. Ishizu could hear the horrid scream as the creature floated into oblivion. The portal closed and Zorc continued his rampage.

Ishizu gasped awake, her breath coming shaky and uncertain. She was back in her bedroom again and by the Gods, she was trembling from head to toe. She sat up and flung her legs off of the bed, trying to get the shadow creature's scream out of her mind. The sound clung to her mind.

She went to the restroom to wash her face. The cold water was refreshing, but as she turned to leave, she glanced into the mirror, and the Necklace began to glow around her neck. A pair was walking toward her from within the mirror, growing larger and larger, their voices deep murmurings that she couldn't quite make out. Then she realized it was a repeat of the meeting of the two men she had seen in the underground tunnels, only this time their speech was quicker, as though whatever they were talking about wasn't that important. Then she saw a shadow emerge behind the one that looked like Bakura. It was the same shadow-

 _Stranger_

\- that she had seen in the other vision with Zorc. It would occasionally lean in to Bakura's ear and whisper. Somehow it had found a way to latch onto Bakura, or at least the Thief. The vision faded, and Ishizu realized she was leaning over the bathroom sink and staring deep into the mirror. She was covered with sweat and her skull was pounding like it had been last night.

She hunched forward, "Please, not so fast. Let me catch my breath first." But the necklace was insistent. The world began to grow dark again, and Ishizu had to feel her way back to her bed while she still had the ability to do so. The last thing she wanted was to pass out in the bathroom, and knock her head against the porcelain toilet or sink. Distantly she thought she had reached the bed. It was flat and large, but even though she was dragging her entire hand across its surface, she couldn't feel its texture. It was like her hand had the same sensitivity that her elbow did, and she crawled up hoping that she was indeed getting onto the bed and wouldn't wake with injuries she couldn't explain.

Then blackness enveloped her. There was nothing being shown to her, no people, no event, no image whatsoever.

"What is this?" She reached her arms out ahead of her, but felt only coldness. "Necklace, what is this?"

 _Stranger_

Ishizu looked around her. "What do you mean? Explain!"

Suddenly Ishizu felt like she was getting pulled backward, and she realized that the blackness she had been staring into belonged to the face of that shadow creature she had been following. It had no facial features, or any kind of features for that matter, but she got the distinct feeling that it was laughing at her. Pure malice flowed off this entity before her, then she heard a scream, a scream she recognized.

The Pharoah's scream.

She spun around and saw him laying on the ground behind her, dressed in the Egyptian robes of the ancient Pharoahs. He had his knees curled to his chest and he was almost completely translucent. "My Pharoah!" She cried and crouched beside him. "Speak to me, what can I do to help you?" His eyes were wide and his mouth was frozen in a horrified grimace. She rolled his head around so that he could look up at her, and for a moment his eyes met hers. "Please," she whispered. "We don't know what to do!"

Then his eyes lolled to the side and terror gripped him again as he looked past Ishizu and up at the shadow creature that was towering over them. He screamed and scrambled quickly out of Ishizu's grasp to move far away from her.

"He is dying," a man's voice stated from behind. She turned to see the same mist she had seen when she had received the Necklace, the same creature that had helped and guided her. Still though, it didn't seem affected by whatever was torturing the Pharoah.

"Who are you?" She asked, "Why should I give your words any credence?"

He laughed and the white mist vibrated with the sound. His voice was very familiar. The mist parted slowly, first with the head and then moved down for the rest of his body. Out stepped the Thief with a smirk on his lips and dressed in his full ruby garb that she assumed he had worn when alive thousands of years ago.

"I should have known," she said. Behind her the Pharoah screamed again and she tensed as rage bubbled up within. "You have been behind this. The Necklace showed me everything! You have been working with the shadow Stranger for years, and now you finally have your wish of killing the Pharoah. Once the other Item Holders arrive, we'll-"

"Oh please, quit with all that crap, will you?" He spoke as though he was talking to an unruly child, "If I hadn't assisted you back there, you still would be without your precious Necklace. Hell, you wouldn't be alive if the Ring weren't close enough for me to communicate with it. You mentioned the other Item Holders, who all does that include?"

"Why should I tell you anything?"

He took a step forward, and Ishizu found herself backing up despite her resolve. "Because if you don't, the Pharoah will soon be drained of all energy. Do you know what happens to a spirit with no energy? They're beyond death. They're beyond anything. Never again would that Puzzle of his work, and the Items would no longer be bound to anyone. They would be free game for anyone or anything to take up." He looked pointedly up at the hulking shadow above them.

A shiver curled down Ishizu's spine as she looked upon it. The shadow, or Stranger, as the Necklace called it was watching them, though she got the impression it was too distracted with the Pharoah to care so much about them. "What is it?" The question spilled from her lips.

"Something rather like Zork, I imagine." She heard the same terror in the Thief's voice, and she turned to see him looking up at the shadow with just as much fear. "All I know is that it is very old, and incredibly manipulative. I didn't realize that it was using me all these years. I thought that Zork was my true master, but that was all a ruse too."

"What do you mean?"

He shook his head, "None of that matters right now. You must tell me who is coming. What Item Holders are coming here? Obviously Ryou is one of them, or else I wouldn't be able to communicate with the Ring at all. Who else is there?"

Ishizu looked up at the shadow form that looked down at them, and heard the Pharoah scream from behind. The Thief, though without a doubt untrustworthy, was the only person who might be able to answer questions about what was going on. If he was somehow able to access the Ring from Ryou's mere presence, then eventually he might be able to find out who was coming on his own.

"If I answer, then you must promise to answer a question of mine as well."

The Thief nodded, "Fair enough."

"There will be Ryou Bakura of course with the Ring, and Yugi Motoh with the Puzzle. I will have my Necklace of course, Pegasus Crawford also has the Eye once again, and Seto Kaiba will supposedly take up the Rod."

He snickered, but began to pace, and the white mist that clung about him shimmered behind him as he moved. His spirit wasn't as transparent as the Pharoah's was, in fact if she hadn't known he was a spirit, she might have assumed he was a full blooded person standing before her. "So there will be a total of four of us, five if you can convince Kaiba to take his head out of his ass. Not a bad number. We may actually have a chance."

Ishizu narrowed her eyes, "I've answered your question, now you must answer mine. Where are we, and why are you not being attacked like the Pharoah?"

He sighed, "That makes two questions, but I'll go ahead and answer them anyway. We are in the spirit world, which is not the same as the Shadow Realm. That creature came from the Shadow Realm, I believe it came from the same place where Zork emerged. Some other, darker world than our own. The Stranger came here once the Pharoah trapped his and my soul in this realm. In fact, we are still in the room where the Pharoah took part in the Ceremonial Battle with his human half."

Ishizu looked closer at the room they were standing in. The area around the Stranger was too dark to make anything out, but near to where the Pharoah was laying, she could vaguely make out rock walls of an underground cavern. It was impossible to tell if they were truly in the Ceremonial chamber though.

The Thief came to stand beside her. "As for why I am not being attacked, the answer is far more simple. I stole the Ring in life. It was never given to me by the Pharoah or anyone of noble birth. Therefore I am not its true wielder, and when I killed Mahaad in ancient Egypt, I broke the cycle of rebirth that the Ring was supposed to have. I believe that was why the Stranger latched onto me. The Pharoah was granted his powers by the Gods, so he is the true owner of the Items. The only reason the reincarnated Priest, Seer, and all the rest are able to use the items is because the Pharoah granted them that right. He is the key to opening up access to all the Items to the Stranger, or any other powerful being that wants them. The weaker the Pharoah becomes, the more our right to the Items is strained." He turned to Ishizu with wide eyes, "Can you imagine? Every powerful spiritual entity in the spirit realm, shadow realm, and earthly realm all trying to get hold of them? It would lead to a battle unlike any other. The destruction would be beyond anything that had ever happened in our world. Compared to their power, I doubt if there would be anything left of our plane of existence."

It was difficult to comprehend, especially since Ishizu wasn't entirely sure what existed in the spirit realm. And she had assumed that the shadow realm only had duel monsters that existed there, but based on the Thief's description, she was wondering if that was really the case at all. She thought that her people, as Grave Watchers, were experts on the differences between the worlds, but more and more she felt like this wasn't the case. They were mere novices compared to this.

"You should leave," he whispered as he stepped back into the dense mist. "It's growing curious about you, and I would rather you not be here any longer."

His words echoed in her mind as Ishizu fell. She landed on her knees and as she slowly opened her eyes she could still hear the Thief's voice on the edge of her hearing.

"You must gather the others. Find us."

"I will," she groaned into the comforter of her bed. She had reached it, but hadn't climbed on top of it like she had thought. Instead she was on her knees next to it with her head buried into the sheets. Her body was stiff, but the throbbing in her head had ceased. The Necklace was silent again, and although she was still covered in sweat, Ishizu felt better than she had in days. She had direction and purpose, something that she realized she had been lacking for a long time.

She wasn't sure if the Thief could be trusted or not, but at this point, they needed all the help they could get, and she couldn't deny how bad the Pharoah looked. He needed them, now more than ever before.

Ishizu rose and went to take a quick shower to prepare for Rishid and the others to return. Her vision had given a focus and clarity she hadn't realized her soul had been craving.


	8. Fans

The four of them emerged from the tunnel into a barren lobby. The stewardess beside them wished them a lovely day, but Kaiba didn't really notice. He was on high alert. The fact that the place was empty here only made him tense. This part of the airport would never be so empty. Especially if a tournament was going to be starting soon.

"Look at that!" Joey called from behind, "I don't see anything to worry about. You guys worry too much. I don't even see a-"

Kaiba held a hand up, "Quiet!"

For once, Joey did as he was told. Over the sound of the stewards sorting paperwork for the plane they just left, there was the sound like a busted air pipe. It was a noise Kaiba knew well. He lowered his head, pushed his briefcase under an arm, and put a hand on Yugi's shoulder. "We'll try to move quickly," he whispered.

Yugi had gone several shades paler, and managed a slow nod. "Is that-?"

"Uh-huh."

They hugged the wall and stopped at a sharp corner that turned toward the security checkpoint. The low roar had grown in intensity with each step, and now they could clearly hear the screams and excitement of many fans. Kaiba couldn't tell by the noise itself how many there were. He guessed based on the flat walls and tile flooring that there were hopefully not as many people around the corner as it sounded, but he didn't like uncertainty. Over his shoulder he saw that Joey had finally gone quiet and was walking very close to Pegasus. It looked like he planned to keep an eye on the mutt at least. Good, because Kaiba was going to have his hands full.

He caught Pegasus' eye, "You want to go first?"

"I probably should. They'll hopefully be too distracted by me to notice you as much."

"Oh, I'm sure they'll notice," Kaiba gave a pointed look at Yugi.

"Wait," Joey muttered. "Maybe I should go with Kaiba and Yugi instead…" He started to head over to join them, but froze when Pegasus clamped a hand down on his shoulder.

"No, you're staying with me. You're going to get introduced to these people, and you're going to put on a good show."

Joey blinked, "I… what?"

"We need to distract them, or else even Kaiba's best performance isn't going to keep them back."

Joey looked between Pegasus and Yugi.

"It's okay, Joey. How often are you going to have a room full of duelists hanging on your every word, right?" Yugi smiled, but it wasn't very inspiring.

Regardless Joey nodded and stepped back beside Pegasus. "Alright, let's do this."

Pegasus flattened his hair over his Millennium Eye, flung the other half over a shoulder and sauntered forward.

Damn, Kaiba admired the man's flair. He had a strange taste in fashion, but he knew how to own a crowd. When you watched him turn on the charm, so to speak, it suddenly didn't seem like such a stretch for the man to own the biggest gaming company in the world.

"My, my, look who all is here!" Pegasus called around the corner and the crowd went absolutely wild. The noise within the chamber was nearly deafening. Even if he had tried to talk, neither of them would have been able to hear it. He took a deep breath and held himself a little straighter, a little taller. He had to look like a complete prick to prevent anyone from getting close, something he had become quite an expert at. He mouthed down at Yugi, "Ready?"

Yugi nodded, and they turned the corner.

Kaiba wasn't sure what kind of numbers he had expected. Maybe a hundred, maybe two. When you led tournaments and talked before arenas full of people, you got a pretty good handle on guessing the numbers of people around you. When he looked out over the sea of faces and excitement before them though, he knew he was way off. There was likely over three hundred people here, and that was merely what he could see.

The security checkpoint had put up a rope to prevent people from passing the scanners, and even though many fans were starstruck by Pegasus off to the side, there were several faces that saw that he and Yugi were approaching. Their eyes went wide, their faces lit up, and then it started to spread. Kaiba pushed Yugi ahead. They had a limited amount of time before Pegasus' distraction wouldn't be enough.

Pegasus was doing a good job though. His two men had helped him up onto a table where he could look down at all the people that had gathered. It was a clever tool. Not only did it enable him to be seen by as many people as possible, but it also put him in a position of authority. People had more trouble disobeying someone who looked like they had authority. A kid slid beneath one of the ropes that tied off the crowd. He was running straight for Kaiba and Yugi. Beneath his hand he felt Yugi tense, and already knew this was going to be a tough job. Luckily one of Pegasus' bodyguards grabbed the kid and pulled him into a partial spin to take off his momentum. Then he returned him to the other side of the rope. The move didn't help the electricity in the room though. That kid was like the first drip of water before a deluge. It was the cue that this whole thing was going to come pouring down pretty soon. Kaiba leaned down and slipped off his shoes to put them on the conveyor belt. He unhooked his briefcase and added it as well, and finally took his jacket off. The camera flashes were almost a constant in his eyes, and Seto had to exert control to keep from lashing out at them. He put his belongings on the conveyor belt and focused on the tram that rolled them into the x-ray machine. This was the part that made it more difficult on his end. He didn't have his boots, his coat, or even a stage. To the mass of people on the other side of that rope, he was on the same level as them. It made him human instead of godlike, and he hated it. It would make him more accessible, easier to approach, and easier to take on if they wanted. He didn't make eye contact, he didn't acknowledge them, and in fact tried to act like they weren't there at all, even though he felt so tense he might snap.

Yugi took his shoes, coat, and bookbag off and put them on the ramp as well, though Kaiba could see that he was shaking from head to toe. Kaiba could sympathize. He'd been in the same boat when he first got swarmed by a mob back in his teens. Until that point, he thought he had been rather anonymous, but it took a messy lesson for him to learn. Fame and fortune had their downfalls. At least Yugi had been smart enough to pack his Puzzle in his carry-on bag. They really didn't need to deal with the security team sweeping them at this point. He could only imagine this many people trying to flood the security room just for a glimpse. If the fans thought they might have to change clothes or get undressed, it would be utter chaos.

If the security guards knew what they were doing, they would simply put aside anything that could be construed as dangerous. They knew who Kaiba and Yugi were, or at least they would after today. Anything they put aside could be handled elsewhere, away from the throngs of people, and away from the public eye. Luckily there was no situation though, and Kaiba and Yugi pulled on their boots and jackets again. Kaiba caught the eye of a few of the guards, but they didn't have the ability to do more than give them a 'good luck' nod. The man and woman who stood guard were overweight and Kaiba saw they only had clubs on their belt. Maybe a tazer even, but that wouldn't do much good in this crowd. A single person or a small group maybe, but there were far too many people to try such a thing, and an outraged mob was no laughing matter.

Kaiba waited as patiently as he could for Yugi to gather his things and pull on his bookbag. He quickly wound the chain for his briefcase around his arm and clasped it on both ends, tugging to make sure it didn't come free. Then he tucked it under his arm, and caught Yugi's gaze. Yugi nodded, and Kaiba put a hand on his shoulder as they headed into the mob. He walked far closer this time though, so that they were almost walking side by side. Partly because the crowd was so thick, and partly because Kaiba needed to be able to react if anything happened.

At first people stepped aside and moved out of the way for them to pass. Cameras were flashing like mad, and Kaiba refrained from putting a hand up to keep from getting blinded. It was important for people to see that he wasn't shying away from the attention and the glamour. He had to look like he soaked it up, even if his heart felt like it would hammer out of his chest. Yugi smiled, but didn't raise a hand to wave. They had moved halfway through the crowd, and for a moment Kaiba thought this would be easier than he had feared, and maybe Joey had been right to accuse them of being paranoid.

Then he felt someone tug on his briefcase. They were tugging on the chain in fact, at first only a little so that Kaiba could write it off as an accident, then it was pulled so hard his briefcase was pulled free from under his arm. He spun around on the ball of his foot, and saw a teenager standing a foot to two behind him. He was trying to finger the lock on the briefcase. He probably had been too far back to see that it was attached to a chain on Kaiba's arm. He had probably assumed it would be a quick and easy way to get a few rare cards, maybe even Kaiba's full deck. He was obviously a novice. The boy saw Kaiba spin around and a terrified grin spread across his face. He started to stand, still holding Kaiba's briefcase in his hands. The keypad on the front had a red light indicating that he'd tried to force his way in with the wrong code. That was all the evidence Kaiba needed.

He pulled back an arm and punched the kid square in the jaw. The boy spun sideways with the punch and he spat blood at several onlookers. More importantly he dropped the briefcase as he toppled backward. No one tried to catch him though, and he landed with a _thump_ on the tile floor. A hush fell over the crowd, and with absolute calm Kaiba picked up his briefcase again, wrapped the chain, and tucked it under his arm again. Then he turned and started pushing Yugi through the crowd again.

The room was so quiet he could actually hear Pegasus' commentary over the speakers. How had he found a microphone anyway?

"What can I say, ladies and gentlemen? My business partner can be prone to violence."

Kaiba was hoping his display would fend off any other attackers, others who were perhaps a bit more savvy than the boy had been. His justice had been swift and silent, but it was only the beginning. One overzealous fan reached out and grabbed onto Yugi's arm, pulling him so hard he nearly pulled Yugi to the ground.

"Yugi! Yugi! You have to duel me, I need to know if my deck is good enough!"

Kaiba had to steady Yugi to keep him from being pulled down. If he was knocked to the ground, things could escalate quickly.

"I'm sorry," Yugi murmured as he tried to pull his arm away. "I can't right now. I've got someplace to be!"

"Please!" The fan screamed.

"Leave him alone!" A girl screamed.

"Yeah," a man near Yugi added. "Let go of him already!"

The fan was pulled away from Yugi, and Kaiba urged him faster forward. He could see the back of the crowd, but it was getting more and more difficult to move forward. His senses told him a fight was coming on, and Kaiba eyed each person that stood near them as a potential threat.

Suddenly one girl reached out and grabbed Yugi's hair. "I've got him!" Her scream pierced the thick air, "I've got Yugi Motoh!"

Then all hell broke loose.


	9. Speed Demon

"Damn, that escalated quickly!" Marik said as a surge of fans suddenly started moving towards Kaiba and Yugi in the center of the room. He, Ryou, and Anzu had gotten there right when Kaiba had punched a would-be thief in the jaw. Marik had been trying to lead their group around to where Kaiba and Yugi were heading. Pegasus had done a good job of keeping the crowd distracted for a while, introducing Joey and answering questions about the new cards that would be coming out soon, but when you had two top profile duelists in the area, that kind of distraction only went so far. As soon as they heard, "I've got Yugi Motoh!", everything changed.

People began moving closer to Kaiba and Yugi, as though they too could get a piece of the King of Games. If that happened, it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Like hell she does!" Anzu growled, and dove in toward Yugi. The look of outrage on her face left both Marik and Ryou stunned for several moments before they moved.

"Should we follow her?" Ryou asked.

"I don't know if we've got a choice!" Slowly the crowd was engulfing them as they stood there. Curious onlookers were pressing inward too. "Come on," Marik took Ryou's hand and started navigating through the crowd. It seemed like a good idea at first, then he started hearing mention of Battle City and Finalists. They reached a point where two big guys were standing right in the way, and Marik couldn't squeeze around them. He was trying to figure out which direction to go, when he felt someone grip his ass hard. He jumped, and then heard a man's voice in his ear, "You looking for a good time, sexy?"

Marik rolled his eyes. It wasn't the first time he'd been targeted by a creeper, though that sort of thing usually happened in the late hours at the bar instead of in the middle of an airport. He had always assumed the belly shirts were what attracted the unwanted attention, but he wasn't about to change his wardrobe. It did make him decide to go left instead of right, but despite his pulling Ryou wouldn't budge.

"Ryou, what's wrong-?" He turned around to see Ryou glaring at the man who must have grabbed his ass. He had murder in his eyes. Somehow it was both terrifying and alluring at the same time.

"What the hell was that about? You just grab people like that and think it's okay?"

The guy shrugged. "Calm down, man. I didn't mean anything by it!"

Ryou lifted a foot and slammed it down on the man's toes so hard, Marik was pretty sure he heard a crunch. The man howled in pain; Marik grabbed Ryou's arm and dragged him away. Ryou's face was red and his hands were balled into fists, though his outburst did help part people out of their way.

"That was-" Marik was trying to think of what to say, though the word _sexy_ kept wanting to spill out of his lips. "That was crazy."

"I can't believe that guy grabbed you like that! I mean everyone saw it, but no one else was going to say a damn thing to him! It was just," he sighed. "I couldn't help myself."

Marik was grinning by this point and had an arm wrapped around Ryou's waist as they made their way through the crowd. "I wasn't expecting you to stand up for me like that."

Ryou blushed, which at first looked like he was getting angry all over again. "I'm sure you would've done the same for me."

By the time they reached the others, Kaiba was having to carry Yugi, and Anzu was helping him keep the crowd at bay.

They joined up, but the crowd seemed to be moving with them now. "Hope you don't have any baggage to pick up!" Marik said, but his humor was lost. Kaiba looked like a caged animal, Yugi looked terrified, and Anzu looked like she was trying to compete with Ryou for outrage. Not to mention the fact that there were camera flashes, screams, random paper and duel monsters cards being shoved in their direction for signatures, and the occasional fan who just dove in to get attention. "Rishid has a car parked outside," Marik shouted. "Follow me!"

Kaiba nodded, looking outright relieved to have someone there they could follow out. When it looked like the crowd was beginning to break up a bit, Marik started sprinting, and the others ran to keep up. It gave them some breathing room at least, and as the crowd began following behind them, Marik took them past the baggage claim. Oblivious travelers looked up with alarm, but of course the army of fans wasn't far behind. They skidded outside, and Marik had to look around to find Rishid's vehicle. He had brought the jeep of all things, as though he thought this would be a calm airport pickup, and not a mad dash. As they ran up, Marik saw that Rishid was sitting in the driver's seat reading a newspaper with easy listening music blaring over the radio. Was that Enya? Marik didn't even care at this point.

He pulled open the passenger door and screamed, "Did you bring my bike?"

Rishid blinked and dropped the paper into his lap. "Yes, Master Marik. It's on the trailer in the back."

Marik blinked and looked back to see his bike sitting on a tiny metal bed that was attached to the back of the truck. Why the hell hadn't he seen it? Kaiba, Yugi, and Anzu were already crawling inside. He turned back to Rishid, who had stuffed the newspaper into the car door in haste. "Let me get my bike out, then we'll have to wait on Pegasus and Joey. I don't think they're going to be able to rent a car today." Already a few fans had trickled out of the front exit and were directing more their way.

Marik unlocked his bike from the trailer and pulled on his helmet which was attached.

"Where should I ride?" Ryou asked beside him, his eyes fixed on the people sprinting towards them.

Marik got onto his motorcycle and revved the engine. "Hop on," he smiled.

Ryou gulped, and straddled the seat behind him.

"You're going to have to hold on tight! This could get ugly."

He felt Ryou slip his arms around his waist and scoot his ass in closer. Damn, this was going to be the sexiest trip home ever. He waited to make sure Rishid had gotten the jeep started, then pulled his bike into the middle of traffic to give Rishid the space he needed to get out. Behind him other drivers were honking their horns almost immediately, but people were swarming outside now, and many of those drivers were going to have worse things to deal with than a poorly parked biker. He sat and waited until he saw Pegasus and Joey run outside at full speed. Their bodyguards were with them, but they had their hands full keeping the fans at bay. The group that was chasing Pegasus and Joey was even bigger than Marik had expected.

One of the cars parked behind Marik was trying to pull into a side lane to pass him, and Marik just inched his bike up to cut the guy off. He was already taking up two lanes of traffic, and considering the size of his bike, he wasn't sure how long that would last. The man he'd cut off was just laying on the horn now, but Pegasus' bodyguards saw what Marik was doing. They separated from Pegasus and came over to stop the lanes of traffic while Rishid waited for Pegasus and Joey to climb into the backseat of the jeep. There wasn't enough room for four big guys to be sitting in the back like that, so Marik wasn't sure how the hell they all fit in, but they did and the Jeep door was slammed closed. As Rishid took off, peeling away from the airport as fast as he could, fans were already beginning to surround Marik and Ryou. Without a helmet, Ryou was a regular spotlight with his long, pale hair.

"Shit," Ryou whispered behind him. "I hope you've got a plan!"

"Always, Kitty." He nodded at one of the bodyguards, revved the bike, and skidded quickly around the two fans who had been standing in front of him. Another girl had to dive aside to keep from getting run over. He felt Ryou tighten his grip around his waist, and felt a familiar heat in his groin. If only there was some way to have sex on a motorcycle. He pushed the odometer up to 130 kph until he had caught up to the Jeep, then slowed down. If it was just him on the bike he might have kept going, but Ryou seemed rather anxious behind him. Marik reached a hand down and rubbed on Ryou's arm as they drove and Ryou's grip loosened a little bit. He seemed more relaxed going at 90 kph at least.

Still though, it was going to be hard not to jump him when they finally got home.


	10. Back Home

"Thanks for your help back there." Yugi was still breathless and looked a little banged up.

Kaiba nodded. He still felt jarred by the entire experience, and Anzu and Joey hadn't stopped talking about it since they got into the vehicle.

"I mean, I like having fans as much as the next person," Joey said. "But I never want to have that many chasing after me again."

Anzu turned around in her seat and gave a sly smile, "Oh, come on! It wasn't that long ago that you were begging to be popular enough to have girls screaming after you!"

"Not like that!"

Yugi grinned, "It's a bit different when you actually experience it, huh?"

Joey folded his arms and sat back in his seat again, grumbling something under his breath that Kaiba couldn't quite make out. For once he found himself agreeing with him. Kaiba had never been good in crowds. It was different when he was on a stage or behind a television camera. Those were distant admirers, and he couldn't as easily see the desire in their eyes. They couldn't reach out as easily and grab him or take something from him. Perhaps it was all those years in the orphanage, dealing with the school yard bullies that always tried to pick on Mokuba. Either way, Kaiba kept his arms and legs crossed so that the others didn't see how shaken he was by it.

Pegasus leaned against the door a bit, as best he could considering they had Yugi and Joey squeezed in between them. He was giving Kaiba a concerned look, trying his best to find out if he was okay without breathing a word. It was a kind gesture, but he was pretty sure Pegasus could have used the Millennium Eye to read his mind and find out for himself.

Kaiba shook his head and turned away. Had he really just considered that? Had he forgotten what had happened last time Pegasus had the Eye?

They pulled off the highway and entered a much less urban area. The businesses and shops had turned into apartment complexes and condos, all brimming with beautiful green lawns. How did they have so much grass out here? He tried to recall when he had flown in a few years back when he was returning the Millennium Eye to Pegasus. Had there been so much greenery? Massive palm trees cast long shadows over the empty morning streets. It felt like they were in California more than Cairo.

Pegasus leaned forward and put a hand on Rishid's shoulder, "How is Ishizu doing? I take it she's still recovering."

"Yes. She wasn't feeling well when I was heading out earlier." He lowered his voice, "She said the Necklace had something it needed to show her as well."

The Jeep pulled into the driveway of their home, which had big box hedges on either side. The place was a brilliant white with hard angles everywhere, giving it a very modern look. Rishid hadn't quite turned the vehicle off when Kaiba pulled the latch and got out, eager to stretch his legs. Being stuck in the car with so many people after being surrounded by that crowd was nerve-wracking. His legs still felt shaky. Yugi got out beside him, and leaned back against the vehicle with a heavy sigh. He was so short that he didn't even come up to the top of the spare tire on the back of the Jeep.

"Whew," Yugi said. "I have to admit, it feels good to be outside again. I feel like we've been cooped up for days."

"The long flight probably didn't help," Kaiba said. It was strange how it was always easier to talk with Yugi when they were somewhat alone.

As Joey got out on the other side with Pegasus and Anzu, he grabbed at his stomach, "Oh man, I'm so hungry! We should've picked up something on the way over. Hey Rishid, think we could swing back around and pick up some McDonald's? I think I saw one a little ways back."

Rishid got out with a smile on his lips. "We could do that if you'd like, but I anticipated that you might be hungry and already prepared a meal."

"Like real Egyptian food?" Anzu added. "Last time we were here the guys only wanted take-out. We totally missed out on all the local food."

"Why do you have to look at me when you say that? Tristan didn't want to try any either."

"Well Tristan's not _here_ , Joey."

They wandered toward the front door, leaving Rishid standing there in confusion. He looked down to Yugi, "Does that mean I should go get something else?"

Yugi laughed, "No, I think they want to try what you made first."

Kaiba held back while Yugi followed Rishid up to the front door and let themselves in. Instead of following, he made his way over to Pegasus. "You did a nice job back there."

Pegasus flashed a smile, "Why, thank you! I was impressed with how you just picked up Yugi. Have you ever thought of trying out as a quarterback?"

"I'm sorry, is that supposed to be some American joke or something? If so, it was terrible."

Pegasus laughed, "Cracking jokes and talking with Yugi, you must be feeling better."

He shrugged. "I guess."

He put a hand on Kaiba's shoulder, "It's alright. You've got friends here, and people who have had to take up their own Millennium Items as well. We'll get you through it."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I don't think that's going to help much when we're dealing with magic."

Pegasus gave him a thin smile, which did far more to confirm Kaiba's suspicions than anything Pegasus could have said. At the end of the day, it was on his shoulders alone to deal with the Millennium Rod. All the friends in the world wouldn't help that much.

He followed Pegasus inside and pulled out his phone as he went. He needed to give Mokuba a call before he did this. He hadn't a clue what time it would be in Domino right now, but he couldn't wait. Something told him that taking up the Rod was urgent, and he couldn't put it off much longer.

If something happened to him, he wanted to at least have this sorted out with Mokuba first.


	11. Breakfast with the Ishtars

Even though Rishid couldn't wield a single Millennium Item, Marik still thought he must have some kind of magic at his fingertips in the kitchen. The man was a wizard when it came to cooking, and loved to experiment. One week they would have Vietnamese, the next week Italian. There was no telling what kind of food he was going to come home to. The last time Yugi and his friends had come to visit, there hadn't really been time to get groceries and plan meals for everyone. They all stayed in hotels and really only got to visit after the Pharoah had supposedly moved on. This time though, Rishid had a chance to prepare, and really wanted to impress them with local dishes which were his specialty.

By the time he and Ryou had gotten home, Rishid had everything out on serving dishes in the kitchen taking up so many counters that there was barely room to put clean plates. The kitchen had been turned into a regular buffet, with plates of green and black olives, a platter full of pita bread cut into small triangles, a bowl of salad, a bowl of cheese, and of course a giant heaping bowl of cold bean fuul. In addition to that there was a heaping plate of fruit, a bowl of scrambled eggs, and even a plate of cooked sausage. Needless to say, the house smelled amazing.

"Damn," Marik whispered as he pulled off his helmet and took in the aromas. "Did you cook all this just this morning, Rishid?"

There was no answer, though Marik knew that meant one of two things: either he was too embarrassed to admit the hard work he had put into their restaurant style breakfast, or he honestly hadn't heard him. Judging by the clamor that was spilled across the kitchen, dinette, and living room, he wouldn't be surprised. Ryou had already left his side and was heading into the kitchen. Marik couldn't help but be annoyed that he didn't even get to grab his ass after the cozy bike ride they had. Ryou had done an exceptional job of avoiding him since their arrival. Marik had barely turned off the bike when Ryou headed for the front door. It was almost as if he was angry.

Marik piled a bunch of fuul onto a plate, then had to find a place to sit. Kaiba, Joey, Rishid, and Ishizu had all taken over the kitchenette, which was kind of amusing since Kaiba and Joey were sitting at opposite ends of the table. Ryou and Anzu were eating in the kitchen. It looked like Anzu was trying to start a conversation with him, but Ryou was so busy eating that any response he tried to give was muffled by the food in his mouth. Marik couldn't help but smirk. It was funny how quickly they all fell into their old roles, even if it had been a full two years since they had really gotten together like this. Ryou was doing his best to look interested in Anzu's problems, but Marik knew that look. Much like Kaiba was trying to look like he cared about Joey's retelling of the events in the airport. Marik had a keen ability to see through those kinds of masks to read true motivations, possibly because he had worn many masks himself.

He wasn't in the mood to deal with Anzu at the moment, or Joey for that matter, so he wandered into the living room. There Pegasus and Yugi had camped out on the floor. Marik sat down beside them with a grin.

"Don't you know it's dangerous to sit on the floor when you're in Egypt? Especially with all the snakes, scorpions, spiders…"

Yugi started glancing nervously around the room, but Pegasus broke into a laugh. "Oh please, no need to frighten him. He's just trying to spook you, Yugi-boy. Don't pay him any attention."

"You're no fun, Pegasus. Really, Yugi, do you think I would be sitting down here to eat if it was that dangerous?"

"I guess not," Yugi said. He didn't look very amused though, and turned to Pegasus, "Did Ishizu say why we have to hurry?"

"No, though I have my suspicions." Pegasus took a long drink from his water bottle, and Marik began to gain a better understanding why they were in here instead of with the others. Perhaps it wasn't so much a lack of sitting space, but a difference in conversation. They were all talking of frivolous things in the other rooms, well, frivolous compared to what they were here for. Somehow his sister had found something out, but why hadn't she mentioned anything to him? He leaned back a bit so that he could look through the doorway into the kitchenette. Ishizu was sitting in profile, and she looking uncannily solemn. His sister was naturally a serious woman, but at the moment she looked more than simply stern. She looked upset, worried, anxious. The Millennium Necklace glinted on her throat, and Marik felt a weight of worry spread from his stomach. Ishizu had to fight to gain back the right to wear the Necklace, and yet she hadn't even greeted him when he came home. Rishid hadn't mentioned a word to him, and that was very unlike him. Just a few hours ago he'd been calling in a panic, worried that Ishizu was dying before him, but now he looked relaxed and calm. Marik wanted to talk with them about what happened, to check on his sister, but they were surrounded by people. He doubted he could draw attention to it without completely humiliating her. His best option might be to pull Rishid aside later and see what he could gather from him.

"What do you think, Marik?" Pegasus' question pulled him from his thoughts, and Marik blinked at him.

"What?"

Yugi said, "We're trying to decide when to give Kaiba the Millennium Rod. Do you think we should do it now or wait until later?"

Marik chewed his food in thought. The Eye had been a bloody ordeal for Pegasus, but Yugi's Puzzle didn't put up any trouble at all. Then again, Ishizu's Necklace had been terrible to witness, at least based on how Rishid sounded last night, and he still had to give Ryou the Ring. He really didn't want to it to hurt him, and Ryou's panic attack the other day had given Marik serious doubts as to whether Ryou was going to be capable of even wielding it. To be honest, Kaiba's Rod was the last thing on his mind at this point, but he realized that it was probably one of the most important steps.

He swallowed, "I think we should give Kaiba the Rod first, then give Ryou his Ring."

Pegasus frowned, "I was under the impression that you had given it to him already."

"Nope, we never got the chance to. Besides," he smiled, "Aren't you the one carrying them around? I hope you're checking to make sure they're all there occasionally."

Prim and proper Pegasus gave him a dirty scowl, "The only thief I'm concerned with at this point is the one we may have to deal with when we do give the Ring over to Bakura. If I'm understanding this correctly, he's trapped with the Pharoah, but we still don't know how he's involved with all this."

"Are you sure you're not jumping to conclusions though, Pegasus?" Yugi asked with a small voice. "I mean, I know he injured you really bad when he took the Eye, but we don't even know-"

Pegasus laughed, "I'm sorry, Yugi-boy, but I'm surprised you're not more jaded than I am. Aren't you the one he tried to kill in that recreation of the Pharoah's memory? He was also the one that tried to destroy the world. Please tell me that Ishizu didn't tell me lies when she informed me of all that happened two years ago."

Marik ate his food in silence. He hated to admit it, but even though the Thief had tried to _destroy the world_ (Gods, how did anyone even comprehend what that meant?), he still liked the guy. Perhaps they had been reckless, perhaps they had been even cruel at times, but Marik was certain that he had seen compassion in the spirit. He didn't want to doubt what Yugi and his friends swore they experienced, but he just couldn't come to terms with the fact that the Thief was the same one who wanted so much destruction. Was he a destructive person? Yes. Was he dangerous? Of course! But was he the evil entity that they made him out to be? Marik was hesitant to say yes, and was very aware that he was in the minority. He would bet that Ryou would agree with him too, which put them in a similar boat.

Yugi sighed, "But if he's trapped just like the Pharoah is, then we should help him. We can't just leave them there."

"I'm not saying that we should, but maybe we should put up defenses in case we need to stop him from doing something rash. He's going to remember who put him there, Yugi, and he might be furious."

Yugi didn't respond, but ate his food in silence. Ishizu entered the room then, standing with the confidence and certainty that she had held before when she bore the Millennium Necklace. It was surprising to see the change in her. She still looked anxious and worried as she had been at the kitchenette table, but she looked entirely different from the sister he had known a few days ago. She looked stronger somehow, perhaps in the knowledge that she knew what they needed to do now.

She clasped her hands in front of her, "I think we need to give the Millennium Rod to its rightful master now, don't you think?" Ishizu stared at Yugi as she spoke, who looked rather dumbfounded.

"I guess, we were just talking about that."

She nodded, "Yes, and you were discussing the Thief's purpose in all this."

"Something like that," Pegasus quipped.

"Let me just say that things that were previously black and white are not so clear now. The certainties that you knew are no longer such, and you'll need to have an open mind as we go forward, for our enemy is a shared one. And we'll need all the assistance we can find."

Pegasus watched her in rapt attention. Marik still wasn't sure if the man had a crush on her or not. He knew Ishizu had one on him, but it was always difficult to tell with him. Pegasus was renowned for being difficult to read, and Marik had to admire that. There were few people on his list that he couldn't read like a book, and he was one of them. He used to think that Pegasus' Millennium Eye was what made it difficult, but now he knew better. Pegasus had such an incredible ability to melt with crowds, to blend in, to put on performances, that Marik would estimate that at least 80% of what he said and did was an act. His fascination with the occult, and his belief in Ishizu, were never in question though. Everything else, on the other hand, was.

Ishizu turned toward the kitchen, "Kaiba? Are you ready to do this?"

Kaiba was standing not far away from her with his arms folded. He wasn't as good as Pegasus at putting on a show, and Marik could see the fear on him despite his stony gaze. It was his breathing that gave it away, and his dramatic trench coat only accented it. "Can't you just hand it over now?"

"Now?" Pegasus got to his feet, "No, no, you don't understand. We have to get you ready. Remember what I said about it being a messy business?" He was staring at Kaiba so urgently that Marik thought he saw a glimpse of something beyond the concern of a business partner. He had the urgency in his voice of affection. The same urgency that he had for Ryou yesterday at the diner. Damn, were those two an item?

Kaiba shrugged, "How messy are we talking here?"

"Kaiba-boy, this isn't a trivial matter!"

Yugi joined in, "It might not be terrible. I mean, the Puzzle didn't do anything when I picked it up, but it had the Pharoah in it before. You've never held the Rod, and it might be difficult."

Ishizu closed her eyes, "It will be dangerous." Marik felt the hair stand up on his neck. Whenever she saw something clear like that with the Necklace it always put him on edge. "You'll want to have only your closest friends at hand when you do this, Kaiba, and the other item holders, of course. We might be able to help. The Stranger will fight you for the Rod, because if he can overpower you, he will be able to use the Rod's power. It is an Item of offense, an Item of control, and he intends to use it against us."

As she spoke, Marik could see the fear sink into Kaiba. He swallowed and Marik thought he could see a slight trembling in his hands.

"Any fear you show the Stranger will be used against you. Each time we take up an Item," she put a hand to the Sennen Eye at her throat, "We open ourselves to him. Any weaknesses he gathers, any frailty he finds, he gains as weapons. We all need to steel ourselves for what lays ahead."

One thing Marik hadn't missed about Ishizu having the Millennium Necklace was her ability to turn a fun gathering of friends into an ominous seance.


	12. Taking Up the Rod

It looked like a place you would kill people in. That was the first thought Kaiba had as he descended the steps into the unfinished basement beneath the Ishtar household. It smelled of dirt and the air was surprisingly humid for being in the middle of Egypt. Another scent sat at the edge of his senses but he couldn't quite identify it. Somehow it was familiar, but he couldn't make it out.

Pegasus followed him down, and behind him Yugi. As much as Kaiba was unwilling to have too many people witness this, especially after Ishizu spoke of how psychological her battle had been to gain back the Necklace, it looked like he was going to have a small group down here with him. Ishizu, Rishid, and Marik had already gone down earlier to get things together, whatever the hell that meant. At first Kaiba hadn't wanted anyone else down there with him except Pegasus, but then on a whim he had asked Yugi as well. He wasn't sure what he was thinking either, and was still berating himself for that decision. What he had thought would be only one or two people, was now a humiliating five. It wasn't exactly his 'close friends' as Ishizu had suggested either.

Even more worrying was that he couldn't get a hold of Mokuba. He had tried to call him earlier, three consecutive times, but there was nothing. Kaiba was a naturally paranoid man, so his mind had filled with all kinds of terrible possibilities about why he couldn't answer the phone. After all, Mokuba was renowned for getting kidnapped. More than that though, it made him concerned that what he had thought was their reconciliation wasn't actually that. Perhaps he had read a bit too much into that simple text message last night, and they were still indeed fighting. That thought upset him more than any potential death by magic could.

At the far end of the basement sat a chair that could have fit perfectly with a Saw film, especially with the various candles around the room and the way the Ishtars stood around it like a place of sacrifice. He must have paused because Pegasus put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright, Seto, we're with you."

"I realize that." He was trying hard not to analyze the place too much, but he couldn't help but notice the discoloration in the concrete around the base of the chair. That discoloration was likely from bleach or some abrasive cleaner being used on what looked like a large surface area. Ishizu had said that the fight to claim the Necklace had been bloody, and Kaiba assumed, quite painful.

Ishizu smiled, and although it was a warm expression, it did nothing to sooth his nerves. "I'm glad you changed."

Pegasus had given him some spare clothes to wear: some sweatpants and a T-shirt. He wasn't as broad-chested as Pegasus was, nor did he have as much muscle on his arms and thighs, so he had to roll up the sleeves and pant legs. At least he was able to keep his socks on.

Kaiba didn't answer her, and instead sat down in the lone chair in the center of the room. "Let's just get this over with."

Pegasus went over to his briefcase against the wall to pull out the Rod. Marik and Rishid were against the far wall, whispering back and forth, probably taking bets on whether or not Kaiba would survive the challenge. Kaiba took a deep breath, then rummaged in his pocket.

"Yugi, if Mokuba calls me back, can you let him know what's going on?"

"Sure," Yugi looked terrified for him as he took his phone. "Don't forget that regardless of what happens, we'll be here for you."

"I don't see how that's going to do a damn bit of good."

"Well, it might actually. Remember the Shadow Game that Marik used on Mai in Battle City? He was able to psych her out because she felt like she didn't need friends. Don't let this thing do that to you. If Ishizu was right and it's able to see our fears and our anxiety, then it might have seen something like that in Ishizu or Pegasus. Don't let it get to you."

"You may be right, but you forget that Mai isn't as renowned for her ability to talk shit in duels as I am," he smiled. "If anyone is going to get psyched out in this battle, it's going to be this Stranger."

Yugi stepped aside so that Pegasus could bring over the Rod. Kaiba noticed that he was carrying it with a cloth, which seemed a bit odd to him. Couldn't those who already wielded Items carry the others without trouble? He never remembered Yugi needing to be cautious back when he was collecting them all.

Pegasus crouched down in front of him, and Kaiba was worried he would try to kiss him. Surely he wouldn't give such an emotional outburst down here in front of everyone. Sure, this might kill him, but that didn't mean that he needed to blow their relationship wide open. Yugi and Rishid he would trust to keep something like that quiet, but Marik? He would be blabbing it all over this place. If he did die down here, he didn't want the tabloids to run two days after his death revealing Seto Kaiba's provocative sex life. He thought of Mokuba reading it shortly after finding out that his brother had died by magic in some horror movie basement and cringed.

He felt Pegasus reach carefully under his left pant leg and stroke the skin of his calf with two fingers. "Don't let it trick you into thinking you aren't the real owner. It tried that on both me and Ishizu. I think I'm more certain that you're an Item Holder more than anyone in this room, save Yugi."

Kaiba picked the rod up with both hands. The metal wasn't at all cold like he expected, but it was heavier than he thought it would be.

"Don't stay too close to him, Pegasus," Ishizu warned, and with a bit of reluctance, Pegasus moved away.

Kaiba trailed his fingers along the shaft and thumbed one of the sharp edges that protruded from the Sennen Eye. He looked up at them, "Isn't something supposed to happen?"

"It should," Yugi said, stepping closer. "Here let me have a look at it." He put a hand out as if to take it, and Kaiba felt a clenching in his stomach. Ishizu didn't step forward to stop him, but she had for Pegasus, which made no sense whatsoever. She was always much more protective of Yugi.

Kaiba gripped his fingers tight around the Rod, "No, I don't think so."

"Come on, Kaiba. Something's wrong with it."

He got to his feet so that he towered over Yugi. "I said no."

"You don't know anything about magic, so why are you suddenly acting so strange?" Yugi narrowed his eyes, "Is it corrupting you? Like it did to Pegasus?"

Kaiba bristled. He didn't feel corrupted, though the Rod did feel warm in his hands. He looked down to see it glowing so bright that it out-shined all the candles in the room. He could almost not look at it with how bright it was getting.

"Something's wrong! Kaiba, you have to hand it over, right now!"

"NO!" Flames leapt up around his hand and he had to fight the impulse to drop it to the ground. Distantly he thought he could hear Pegasus scream out his name, even though it didn't look like he had moved from his place against the wall. Kaiba fell to his knees as the fire caught on his hand and began moving up his arm. Pain was shooting through him, and he wasn't sure how long he could hold onto it. He looked up to see Yugi standing over him with a crazed expression, somehow impossibly tall for his height.

"It's going to destroy you! You've got to get rid of it. The magic isn't working right for you. It sees you as a threat!"

Kaiba grabbed the base of the Rod with his other hand and gave a scream as his skin fused with the searing hot metal. The fire caught on that hand as well and Seto couldn't even feel his other hand anymore. He had to squint to look at it with the Rod so bright and the flames so hot, but all he could see was a charred, black shape. It reminded him of the dried, blackened skin of the mummies in museums.

The fire on both hands suddenly went out, and he looked to see that his hands were both now charred far beyond recognition. The sleeves of Pegasus' sweatshirt had mostly been burned off and the remaining fabric glowed with hot embers. His hands all the way up to his shoulders now looked decayed and blackened, charred beyond all recognition. He could see his bones gleam in places beneath the black tissue. There was no blood and no pain from them anymore, just the rotted stubs of limbs he could no longer use. Somehow the fire had turned him into that dead Priest he had seen in the Pharoah's memories. The man with the blue headpiece that could have been his twin. But that was all wrong. He was no magician, no wielder of any kind of magic. He knew circuitry, business, dueling, not how to fight some spirit.

Yugi had transformed at some point, turned into a dark shadowy person, but it really came as no shock to Kaiba. He had failed this, he realized that now. This magic was too far beyond him, just too dangerous and too big for him to handle. He was a man rooted in the real world with no talent for this strange magic. The shadow creature stepped forward and put out a tendril to wrap around the center of the Rod between Kaiba's two rotted hands.

It tugged, and new pain shot down from his shoulders. That was where his pain receptors were now, the ones that were left. Tiny bits of his charred tissue floated down to the ground like crumbled tissue paper. There was nothing stopping it now. He had no way of holding onto an Item when his arms had been rendered useless. The shadow pulled and Kaiba grunted against the pain as blood began to seep out from his shoulders. Never before had Kaiba felt so utterly useless and pathetic. Even when he'd been put in the orphanage, he was able to put together a plan. He was a strategist first and foremost, but this was nothing like a business take over, or manipulating someone rich to be your father. He had no idea what he was doing, he hadn't an ounce of training, and as he felt his arms being torn from his shoulders, he regretted never listening to what Yugi and Pegasus had been telling him all these years. He should have listened to them, should have heeded their warning that he couldn't escape the magical world forever. One day it was going to catch up to him, and if he wasn't prepared for it, he would be sorry.

Well he was damn sorry now.

He was bleeding profusely and the creature was toying with him, twisting the Rod this way and that, and sprinkling the ground with more black, charred flesh. The bones of his arms were no longer holding together as well, and they fell at odd angles as the creature pulled, winning this tug of war. The shadow man, or the Stranger as Ishizu had referred to him, was laughing at him now. It didn't speak, but somehow Kaiba knew it was mocking him. It had never had such an easy time taking hold of a Millennium Item; it was like stealing from a small, weak child. Although Kaiba knew nothing of magic, he was an expert on rage, and it began to fill him. It was a desperate anger, the kind he had felt the first night he and Mokuba had been in the orphanage. He felt it the night after Gozaburo had first ordered him to be beaten with a switch. And again the day after Gozaburo had killed himself, before he had gone before a press conference to explain who would be the new owner of Kaiba Corp.

Slowly that rage was transformed, like a chunk of coal slowly pressurized into something more. It was shaped and redirected. Kaiba no longer would allow himself to be a victim. It wasn't a matter of whether he could or not, he simply decided that it wasn't going to happen this way. His anger was turned into determination, and a strategy unfolded before him as simple and pristine as if he had known it all along. After all, he realized, magic is simply a tool no different from circuitry or machinery. He simply had to use it like a tool, and not think of it as magic. The word, he realized, was what terrified him, not the magic itself. After all, didn't electricity seem like some unreachable power before you understood how it worked?

His left arm was almost ready to fall off, but Kaiba gritted his teeth against the pain. He put one foot up, and then the other until he was standing before this colossal shadow before him. It had more than a single tentacle wrapped around the Rod now, and was pulling harder than it had before. It didn't matter though, and Kaiba knew it. This wasn't actually happening, it was all in his head, which was actually the perfect place for him to be.

"Kisara," he whispered, somehow knowing that she was there behind him in the shadows.

She stepped forward, a brilliant white and glowing figure against this darkness that had surrounded them. "Yes, Seto." Her smile was sweet and warm and he felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of her. Old emotions flowed through him in ways that at one point would have rendered him destitute and confused. He understood them now, how they weren't his emotions but the Priest's, and it made sense. He embraced the comfort that flowed through him instead of pushing it away.

He looked up at the thrashing shadow before him. "Blast it."

She nodded and her eyes shone a brilliant blue. Her neck elongated into that of the Blue Eyes White Dragon, and her body lifted off the ground as wings protruded out. She was suddenly enormous and as the blue electric ball of energy grew in her mouth, he felt the shadow tendrils let go, he felt his arms finally free, and feeling returned to his hands. The shadow monster opened a portal, he saw that much at least, but he hadn't a clue how or where it lead to. Then he was gone, and Blue Eyes craned her neck around to look down at him.

"Would you like me to follow?"

"No," he whispered, tensing up as feeling and pain emerged in his limbs. "No, I want you to stay here and protect us." She nodded again and stepped back behind him. The shadows that had engulfed him fell away like thousands of black veils, and he slowly began to make out the faces of Pegasus and Yugi. The heat he had felt on his hands suddenly felt like intense cold instead, as though they had been sitting in ice water. His arms returned to their normal color, though they were pinker in places than they had been. He no longer saw bone poking through in places, though he did see blood around him on the ground, mixed in with a thick white foam.

"What the hell-?"

"He's back!" Marik exclaimed, and Kaiba realized he was aiming a fire extinguisher at him.

"Are you alright?" Yugi asked.

Pegasus' approached him slowly. "Talk to us, Seto, come on."

Kaiba blinked for a few moments until the shadows had fallen away completely, then he stared at Marik. "Did you spray me with a fire extinguisher?"

Marik laughed. "Of course we did! You caught on fire, what did you expect us to do?"

He felt an arm slide behind his shoulders, and slapped it away out of habit, wincing at the flair of pain. "Stop it, I'm fine."

"Like hell you are!" Pegasus glared at him, the glint of the Millennium Eye beneath a sheet of platinum hair. "We have to treat the burns on your arms and make sure you don't have any head damage." He wiped some of Kaiba's hair out of his face, and when his fingers pulled away there was blood. He felt the arm slip under his shoulders again.

"He should be fine." It wasn't Pegasus helping him like he thought, but Rishid. "Ishizu had the same problem last night."

For a few seconds, Kaiba thought he could walk on his own, but then the world seemed to catch up with him. The floor swayed, and he stumbled embarrassingly against Rishid.

"Damn it."

"Come on, Yugi." Marik said, "Let's make sure there's a clear path to the guest room." The two of them ran upstairs, far too fast for Kaiba's eyes to keep up. Going up the stairs was an entirely different challenge, and it took both Pegasus and Rishid on either side of him to keep him from stumbling. He felt much more comfortable with Pegasus helping him, but didn't want to mention anything. It might get people talking, or at least raise suspicions.

When they reached the main floor, Joey was standing there looking at him like he was some kind of Frankenstein monster pulled from the bowels of the earth. "Kaiba! Jeez, you look terrible!"

Of course, Joey would be one of the first to lay eyes on him. Kaiba would bet he was waiting around in the hallway just to get a chance to see him in this debased state. If he had been able, he would have had a few words for him, but the most he could manage was a growl. He pushed Rishid aside and grabbed Joey by the collar of his shirt.

He was going to tell him to shut up, that he didn't have the patience for Joey running his mouth. All that came out though was a groan as he crumbled to his knees and collapsed into unconsciousness.


	13. The Love of Psychopaths

There was something endlessly hilarious about Kaiba falling to his knees in front of Joey Wheeler. Unfortunately Marik was pretty sure he was one of the only people holding back laughter at the moment. Pegasus screamed his name and lunged forward, but couldn't quite catch him in time. Joey on the other hand, with reflexes seasoned after years of fighting with thugs on the streets of Domino, caught Kaiba before he could slam his face into the floor.

"I got him, I got him," Joey said, but Kaiba's weight nearly pulled him to the floor as well. "Damn, I thought he was going to slug me there for a minute."

Pegasus came over to help him, "I suppose you're lucky then, Joey. Here, help me get him to the guest room. Marik, can you lead the way?"

Marik nodded. Although he always thought Kaiba was physically a pretty scrawny guy, he realized as he watched the three men struggle to get him onto the bed, that it was probably all muscle. Ishizu was close behind them, carrying enough bandages and antiseptic to care for a small army. Marik almost told her she was overdoing it, but then realized she would probably know if it was necessary or not. He crouched down next to his sister as she cleaned Kaiba's wounds. Most of it was dried blood, and simply looked worse than it actually was. His arms though, that was a different story. The sweatshirt Pegasus had let him borrow was all in tatters from the shoulders down, and from his elbows down his skin was a light pink as though he had a terrible sunburn.

"Is he going to be alright?" Pegasus was on the other side of the bed, watching her closely.

"These should heal just fine. We were lucky that Marik put the flames out when he did."

Marik couldn't help but glow at the praise. He didn't hear it very often from Ishizu, which made those few words all the more precious. Still though he didn't want her to know how valuable her words were. He got to his feet.

"I suppose we can't do much more today then, can we?"

Ishizu had covered both of Kaiba's arms in the goop that looked like petroleum jelly, and now she was bandaging them with Pegasus' help. "We must. We don't have much time left. Already the Pharoah has nearly faded, and if we don't finish giving out the rest of the Millennium Items so that their bearers can heal, we may be too late to save him."

Marik narrowed his eyes, " Who else is there? We have the Puzzle, the Rod, the Eye…"

She glanced back at him, "Ryou must take up the Ring. Hopefully he'll bring back the Thief when he does, because we'll need his assistance as much as I'm loathed to admit it."

He frowned. How could he have forgotten that part? He looked around suddenly as though expecting Ryou to be standing behind him. Of course he wouldn't be. He wouldn't want to see Kaiba in this predicament because he wouldn't want to imagine what it will be like for him.

"Did you lose him already, Marik?" Ishizu didn't turn away from her work this time, and Marik gave a heavy sigh. Another reason he enjoyed his sister's praise so much was because it was never long before it was followed by judgment.

"Don't worry, I'll find him."

She glanced up to Pegasus, "Please go with him. I have Kaiba. Think of the Pharoah now."

Pegasus never seemed to question Ishizu like Marik did. In fact, his blind trust in her always made Marik a little uneasy. He nodded and pulled out the Rod from his pocket with a spare handkerchief. Marik couldn't turn away from it as he slid it into Kaiba's unconscious hand. He must have picked it up at some point when Kaiba had collapsed earlier. Marik had been so amused by the scene that he hadn't even thought of the Rod's whereabouts. Pegasus covered Kaiba with a blanket, and Marik was thankful that the Rod was out of sight again. Even when it was in the hands of its true owner, Marik still couldn't shake its pull. It was shameful for a grave watcher to be so entranced.

He and Pegasus left Ishizu alone to her medical treatment. Pegasus was quick to start asking questions, "Does she want us to go ahead and give him the Ring? She wasn't very specific."

He shrugged, "I've no idea. She's always cryptic when it comes to actually giving orders, haven't you noticed that?"

"Well do you know where he might be?"

Marik thought for a moment. Despite his apparent gregariousness earlier, Ryou was still fighting that blackness within him. He was still battling against his depression and that endless need to destroy things. He would be extra nervous to show any signs here among so many others, but then again he hadn't cut at anything since they were back in Domino. He knew Ryou had brought some of his woodcutting supplies, so that meant they would need to look for his suitcase first. "I've got a few ideas. Follow me."

They headed toward the entryway where everyone had dropped their luggage when they first came into the building. There they found Ryou, standing with a block of wood in one hand. His hands were shaking though and it looked like Anzu had cornered him. As soon as he caught Marik's eye he brightened considerably.

"Marik! I was… looking for you."

Anzu smiled at them both, "I guess Kaiba's done taking up the Rod then, huh? How is he doing?"

"Well enough, I suppose," Pegasus gave a forced smile. His gaze kept darting to Ryou and he looked concerned. What was he reading in his friend's mind that put him so on edge? Marik slipped between them and took hold of Ryou's free hand. His skin felt chilly and moist, as though he had been close to passing out again. What in the world had gotten him so worked up? Marik had to force his expression to stay calm as he dragged Ryou into the kitchen. Marik looked over his shoulder to see Pegasus apparently having a conversation with Anzu, but his arms were folded across his chest and he was staring in their direction. The Eye, Marik thought, must be working overtime.

He pulled around one of the chairs from the kitchenette around the corner, out of sight of Pegasus' Eye and more importantly, away from everyone else. He eased Ryou down in it, watching him take deep breaths.

"Are you having another attack?"

"I don't know," he groaned. "I just got the urge to cut at something, and I realized that I hadn't brought any of my knives with me."

"If you had, we never would have been allowed through customs."

"All I have now are these useless blocks!" In rapid motion he flung it across the room as though pitching a ball, and it struck the counter with a loud bang before clattering to the floor. Marik tensed. He had never seen Ryou lose his temper like this before, never to the point of throwing things. Ryou dragged two hands over his face and leaned forward. He wasn't crying, but tears didn't seem to be far off.

"Let me get you some coffee or something," Marik whispered and busied himself with the coffee maker. He kept turning to watch Ryou, as though something told him it wasn't safe to turn his back on him.

Ryou dropped his arms to his lap and leaned back in the chair. His eyes were glassy as he stared up at the ceiling. "Thank you for getting me out of there. Nothing I said would get Anzu to leave me alone, and I was afraid I was… going to do something I would regret."

Marik spilled some coffee grinds on the counter, and took a moment to collect himself. "It seems like you're worse now than you were back in Domino."

"I don't know what's happening to me. I didn't use to have such thoughts!"

Marik flipped on the coffee pot and turned around to regard Ryou again. "Maybe whatever is screwing with the Pharoah is messing with you too."

"Perhaps," Pegasus said from the doorway. Marik hadn't a clue how long he had been standing there and he and Ryou both jumped in surprise. "Or perhaps his mind is slowly unraveling."

"Excuse me?" Ryou asked.

"You can't just come in here and start talking nonsense," Marik said. Ryou was already in a fragile state and the last thing he needed was Pegasus' wild speculations to set his friend off again. Ryou was good at disappearing, he was good at staying hidden too, and if he felt threatened or cornered here, Marik would bet he would be out in a heartbeat. Hell, maybe that had been his plan before Anzu cornered him.

Pegasus looked insulted, "I am not lying to you. I can see into his mind and I can also see the problems he's having. I don't know how much longer we have, but Ishizu is right: we need to give him the Ring and quickly."

Ryou got to his feet, and as he did so Pegasus put a fist to his chest and took a step back. Was that fear on his face? He was the one wielding a Millennium Eye here, what in the world had he to fear?

"What do you mean my mind is unraveling? Explain!"

Pegasus watched him closely for a moment, "I don't have to explain a damn thing to _you_ of all people."

This was just too much. Marik stepped between the two of them and urged them both back. "Come on, you two, we do not need to be fighting right now. We're trying to work together to solve this, right? Ryou, you're upset, but you need to _calm down_. And Pegasus, please stop it already. He's upset, surely even you can see that!"

"Of course he's upset." Pegasus said, "He knows that I can see into his mind. He knows what I'm saying is true, and the worst part is that he can feel it happening." He cocked his head to the side as though trying to pick up a song being played in the distance. "And here I thought it had been the Thief that had disfigured me. He merely pointed you in my direction, and let loose the reigns."

"What the hell are you even talking about?" Marik shoved Pegasus back with both hands, but he was too intent on his Eye and although he took several steps back, he wouldn't break the mental connection he had. Marik turned to Ryou, who had tears in his eyes. He turned away and hung his head over the kitchen counter. Marik started toward him, but Pegasus caught his shoulder and pulled him back into the entryway again.

"Look at me," Pegasus whispered and it took an effort for Marik to look away from his friend and lover sobbing in the corner. "I don't know how much time we have. Ryou is in the process of losing his mind, can you understand that? If we don't give him back the Ring soon as Ishizu said, he may not be able to take it. There may be no way of helping him then."

"Are you sure?"

"I've never seen it actually happening like this, but it is definitely there. I admit I would probably have trouble believing it if I couldn't see it. I'm wondering why I didn't notice it earlier to be honest with you."

Marik knew. The Thief would never let Pegasus read Ryou's mind before. He wouldn't let anyone see under Ryou's kind and generous surface, and now Marik had a better understanding of why. He had to have known what was happening to Ryou, especially if he had sicked him on Pegasus like it sounded. "What if it pushes him over the edge? What if he loses it because we give the Ring back to him?"

"Do we have any alternative? I don't think there is a psychiatrist alive that would be able to assist him." Pegasus lowered his voice and leaned down to whisper into Marik's ear. "He was thinking of killing Anzu only a few moments ago. He was going to bludgeon her with that wooden block." Marik felt a coldness wash over him at those words. It was different when Pegasus had implied as much, but to actually know that those thoughts had been going through Ryou's mind just a few minutes ago made him terrified.

He turned to Ryou who had wiped away the tears on his face and was now pouring himself a fresh cup of coffee. He didn't even like coffee, Marik suddenly remembered, but whatever state he was in was bad enough that he would have taken anything. Marik realized in that moment that he actually liked Ryou quite a lot. The thought that he was going insane filled him with sadness and an unexpected remorse for the relationship they wouldn't have. He also couldn't shake that survival instinct, that undercurrent of fear that had bubbled up in him at Pegasus' words. Marik knew what madness felt like, he knew what it was like to lose yourself in the darkness and not be able to find your way out again. If Pegasus said that Ryou would be lost to them, likely that meant that even with the Millennium Items he would be beyond their reach. Ryou didn't deserve that. At one point in his life, Marik had felt like he himself did deserve it. Perhaps that was why he fell into that abyss to begin with, but Ryou was not as violent and vile as he had been. He was a kind person, overwhelmingly generous even, and if such a soul could be devoured by insanity, then there simply didn't seem like there was a shred of justice in the world.

Marik stepped forward, against Pegasus' wishes, and put his hands on Ryou's shoulders. He tensed a bit under his touch, but then relaxed as Marik leaned in close and trailed his hands down his arms and onto Ryou's sides, looping around his waist to pull him into a tight embrace. He laid his head against Ryou's shoulder and could feel the quickness of his pulse. "We'll figure this out," he whispered. "We'll get the Thief back and he should be able to help you. Ishizu said-"

"I'm a monster."

The hatred in his friend's voice was so rich that for an instant he sounded as bitter and angry as Marik's other half had been years ago. That cold fear surged forward again, but Marik pushed it away. Of course he was frightened, but fear wasn't what he needed right now. He needed to tap that well of certainty and leadership that he knew well. Ryou needed that strength. "We're both monsters, and yours will be beaten just like mine was."

Ryou chuckled and lay a warm hand against Marik's. "Yours nearly killed all of us. He had us banished in the Shadow Realm, and Yugi had to duel him in order to get rid of him. I don't think a duel is going to solve this problem."

Marik hugged him. "No, but the Ring might."

"You mean the Thief might. God, I need another spirit to possess me in order to solve my psychological problems. I really am broken."

"That's okay, I like you broken."

"You're the only one, I bet."

Marik released him and got him to turn around. His eyes were red and his cheeks were puffy from tears, but he still looked adorable. It was ironic that after defeating his personal psychopath, Marik would end up falling in love with another. He leaned forward and kissed Ryou on the cheek, and although he had braced himself for a slap or some other punishment, he was pleased when he stepped back to see the smile on Ryou's lips.

"Are you ready to do this?"

Ryou sighed, "I guess." He turned to Pegasus who was still standing just beyond the kitchen, probably trying to give them some space while still keeping an eye on them. "I'm sorry, by the way. I know that apologies alone won't return what we took, but I really didn't mean for it to be so…"

Pegasus gave a thin smile, "It's alright. I admit, I'm not entirely comfortable with any of this, but I believe I understand. You're in a desperate situation."

Marik wasn't entirely happy with the judgment he read in Pegasus' face, but Ryou didn't seem to notice it. In fact, he brightened at Pegasus' words.

"I am desperate. I guess I didn't realize until now how bad it was."

Marik squeezed his hand, "Come on. Let's get this over with."


	14. Returning the Ring

For some reason the trip down to the basement this time lacked much of the enthusiasm and overall willingness than there had been with Kaiba. Perhaps it was the fact that the ground was still stained with a mixture of his blood and the remaining foam from the fire extinguisher. Rishid had been reluctant to go through with it again so quickly after only recently getting Kaiba patched up, but he had both Ishizu and Pegasus to contend with, and it was astonishing how quickly he folded. Marik had seen him withstand the most painful torture and the most demeaning tasks without faltering, but put him in a room with those two against him and he grew silent and agreeable.

Marik would have to remember that trick for later.

Ryou was trembling as he led him down the steps. Marik had insisted on walking behind him in case he collapsed, especially since he looked so pale. He stumbled only once and kept his gaze downward as he entered the room. Except for Kaiba, all of the Item Holders were present. Rishid stood in the corner, his eyes following Ryou with grim concern.

Yugi was the first one to break the stagnant silence. "We'll all be here, Ryou. Don't worry!"

Ryou gave a meek smile as he sat in the creaky chair. He put his clenched hands on his knees and let out a heavy sigh.

Marik squeezed his shoulder, "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

Ryou nodded. "I just want it done with already."

Ishizu removed the Ring from the case and handed it to Yugi; it looked dim and dead in the candlelight. He wondered if perhaps the Thief wasn't lurking inside of it, that perhaps even returning this to Ryou might not help their mutual friend at all. What if it only made things worse? But there was surety in Ishizu's eyes. She had no question that this was the right thing to do. It was too bad that she couldn't quite sway Marik. Her Necklace was not a perfect predictor; her duel with Kaiba in Battle City was proof of that.

Yugi offered it out to Ryou, who took it with a smile. It seemed to not affect him for a moment, but then he gave a small gasp and his eyes went wide. His whole body went rigid and the Ring began to glow in his hands. The metal points began dancing, moving in circular motions. Minutes passed, and Marik began to pace. It wasn't like this was anything out of the ordinary. According to Rishid it had taken Ishizu a full half hour or more to come to terms with her Item. However as five minutes stretched on to ten, then fifteen, Marik couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

"Is this normal?"

"Each of us accepts the item in their own way. It is the same for him," Ishizu said.

"Yeah, I get that, but is it normal for him to sit so still like that? Kaiba was yelling at people! Shouldn't we do something to-"

Then Ryou spoke in such a soft whisper that Marik couldn't quite catch his words. When next he spoke there were tears in his eyes as he gasped, "Please don't." Then Ryou screamed.

Marik jumped. Ryou collapsed forward over his knees and laid on the ground for a moment. Was that smoke coming off of him, or was that just the candles? Marik stepped forward. He was going to take up the fire extinguisher in case Ryou burst into flames like Kaiba had earlier. He had stepped out directly in front of Ryou, who suddenly was pulled up to his feet.

At least, it looked like someone pulled him up.

His shoulders rose into the air while his head hung forward. His balance wasn't right as he stood up either. He leaned forward but didn't fall to the ground like he should have. His eyes were closed, and his body was a limp ragdoll's. Marik stopped, unable to move at the sight. When Ryou looked up, his eyes were a vibrant red and he had the most hideous smile on his lips.

Whoever this was, it was not Ryou, and it was not the Thief. They were frozen there for several moments, locked in a stare down. The room was silent, everyone frozen in terror or shock. Marik needed to reach that fire extinguisher, this time for his own protection. He darted for it.

From behind he heard Ishizu gasp, "Look out!"

Rishid grasped his shoulders and flung him aside so hard that he slammed into the wall. It took Marik a moment to gather his senses again as he turned to see Ryou with a very large carving knife in one hand and looking right at him. The blade was bloody, and Ryou's hideous grin didn't falter. Behind him on the ground, Rishid was cradling his arm and Ishizu was crouched down beside him. A streak of fury went through Marik, and he turned to this creature that had possessed his lover.

"Let him go! Ryou, you have to fight against it!"

Ryou gave a deep throated laugh as drool seeped out of the side of his wicked grin. He took a step forward, keeping his eyes locked onto Marik with a sort of maniacal glee. "Come close now. Give us a kiss." He laughed again and Marik felt his back break out into goose flesh.

Pegasus had made his way around behind Ryou. He was holding something in his hands, but Marik couldn't break eye contact for fear that Ryou would notice. Only when Pegasus had raised it in the air, preparing to slam Ryou in the back of the head, did Marik see what it was: the fire extinguisher. His eyes went wide, "No, stop!"

At his words, Ryou spun around and out of the way of Pegasus' attack. Then in movements reminiscent of a dance, he turned to slice at him. Pegasus used the extinguisher as best he could, but Ryou was unnaturally fast. His movements were practiced and his smile grew in madness as he pushed Pegasus toward the wall. He was trying to corner him.

That was when Yugi body slammed him. He was too short to hit his torso, but it was more than enough to make him lose his balance. Ryou fell to his knees. "You have to stop it!" Yugi cried, "You have to hold it back, Ryou! You're the real owner of the Ring, not this thing. Fight it!"

Ryou looked at Yugi for a moment, then Pegasus, and finally his gaze rested on Marik. Then he was up on his feet, sprinting towards him, screaming some curse that Marik didn't understand. The next thing he knew, Ryou was slicing at him, only Marik didn't have any place to go. He dodged around him, then stumbled over the chair that Ryou had been sitting in. Marik rolled just in time to avoid getting stabbed in the chest. Ishizu screamed.

"You're fast," Ryou whispered. Marik reached for the chair to defend himself, but Ryou grabbed it first, and slammed Marik back to the ground. Next he flipped the chair around and pinned Marik to the ground with the back of it. Suddenly the knife was only centimeters from Marik's throat, and he couldn't move.

"Not fast enough, I'm afraid, but still fast." Ryou smiled and pushed down on the chair to dig into Marik's chest.

"Ryou, if you can hear me, you're the only one that can stop this. You're the only one! It's going to kill me if you don't!"

Ryou lifted up the dagger and made an X in the air over Marik's left eye. "It'll be my calling card." Then he brought the blade down. Pain shot out where Ryou sliced into Marik's eyebrow, but then the blade stopped.

Ryou was frozen, blinking down at him. Only it wasn't the crimson eyes of that creature anymore, and it wasn't Ryou's. These were darker and older.

Marik gulped, "Bakura?"

He blinked down at him. "Marik?" He tossed the knife aside, and stepped back from the chair. "What the hell was I doing?"

Marik leaned his head back against the ground. He could feel blood from his cut oozing down into a pool around his hair, but he didn't care. He gave a weak chuckle.

The Thief, as usual, had a terrible sense of timing.


	15. Fragments

The tension in the air was thick. Rishid was sitting on the couch while Ishizu bandaged him up. He'd gotten a nasty cut in the fight downstairs, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the one Bakura had almost given Marik. Yugi was still shaking. He was sitting in the lounge chair with Marik standing behind him. Yugi couldn't quite decide if Marik was trying to protect him, or keep his distance from the Thief. If he had nearly had his eye gouged out, he would be keeping his distance too.

Yugi had seen the Thief possess Ryou several times over the years, so he knew the instant that he was back. What concerned him more at this point was whether Ryou was okay or not. Had he completely lost his mind, or was that something else that had been controlling him? At the moment the Thief was sitting completely still and his eyes were glazed over. He had mentioned something about a conversation, but hadn't budged since then. That was about ten minutes ago. Yugi wondered if that was what he looked like when he was talking with the Pharoah. If so, he sure looked crazy.

Pegasus was pacing back and forth, looking more annoyed the longer it took. It must be difficult for him, helping the Thief return to Ryou's body after everything it had done to him. Not to mention the fact that Kaiba was in the back room still passed out. Ever since Kaiba's collapse, Pegasus had become extremely short tempered. He reminded Yugi more of Pegasus Crawford the President of Industrial Illusions, instead of Pegasus Crawford the friend that visited the game shop a few days back to share a pot of tea. He was nowhere near as upset as he had been at Duelist Kingdom, but his cool demeanor was breaking down.

"Is he ever going to snap out of this, or will he just be comatose forever?" Pegasus asked.

"He's sorting things out with Ryou, I'm sure," Yugi said. "I just hope Ryou's okay. He seemed really upset before he got possessed."

"Is that what happened?" Rishid asked from his prone position on the couch. "I thought that was the Thief that attacked us."

"What, really?" Marik said, stepping forward. "I know the Thief, and that wasn't him. He would never attack me like that!"

Pegasus chuckled, "Are you really so certain? He tried to kill Yugi and his friends a few years back, or is your memory so short?"

"Who cares? So did I, and you too, actually."

Pegasus waved a hand in indifference. "That's not the same thing! I was trying to bring back someone I loved. He was trying to resurrect a creature that wanted to destroy the world!"

"Does it make a difference?"

Pegasus sighed, "Honestly I don't even know why I bother with talking to you. Everyone knows you're biased about him."

Marik narrowed his eyes, "You're just as biased about this as I am!" He turned his attention to Yugi, "What do you think, Yugi? You haven't said a word about this either way."

Yugi took a deep breath, feeling very small and out of place on the armchair. He had been debating this very thing for the last few days, ever since Pegasus said that the Items would have to go back to their owners. He had known that the Ring would go back to Ryou, but he hadn't been sure if the Thief would still be there or not. He thought they had killed him in the Memory World, but then again, they thought the Pharoah had moved on. Since Ishizu seemed certain that he was there, and would return once Ryou was given the Ring, Yugi had struggled over his own feelings. He wasn't questioning what to do with the Thief though, he was questioning why he wasn't feeling any anger about the whole ordeal. Try as he might, he couldn't feel even a little bit of hatred for the man who had tried to kill him, his friends, and destroy the world. It was as though all of his anger had been sucked out of him. He couldn't tap into that intensity even if he tried. His reasoning was still there at least, as much as he could tell, and Yugi didn't need his anger to know the right choice, even if it was an unpopular one.

"I've had lots of people try to defeat me in a duel, hurt my friends, even kill me, but I've always given them another chance. If I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have made all the friends I have. I wouldn't have Joey or Tristan, Duke, or either one of you guys around. I know you two are going to think I'm ridiculous, but I think we should give him another chance. The way I see it, he devoted his entire afterlife to destroying us, and he failed. From what I've seen from you two, failure seems to change people. Maybe he's changed because of it."

"And if he hasn't changed?" Rishid got up from the couch and made his way over to stand beside Pegasus. "If he is still the same back-stabbing, untrustworthy person that we remember him as?"

Marik gaped at his brother, "Rishid…"

"I am sorry, Master Marik. I never fully condoned the two of you being together. He was a bad influence on you, and I fear that being with him again will turn you down a darker path."

Marik put his hand on Yugi's shoulder, "Look, if Yugi here thinks we should give him another chance, then we should!"

Oh jeez, was Marik really dragging Yugi into this argument?

"I'm not questioning him." Rishid said with a respectful nod, "I don't think any of us have the right to do that, but-"

Yugi sighed, "Look, I'm not the Pharoah anymore, I'm just Yugi. Would you all please stop following everything I say like it's the law? I make mistakes the same as everyone else, and so did he actually."

From the chair at the other side of the room, Ryou started laughing. It wasn't the maniacal laughter that they had heard in the basement when Ryou was possessed, but the cunning laughter of the Thief. He was smiling at them all with his arms crossed. "I couldn't have said it better myself, Yugi."

"Alright, you better have some answers." Pegasus said, "You pestered Ishizu the other night, and nearly got Rishid and Marik killed earlier. I hope you have some kind of explanation!" Pegasus tried to take a step toward him, but Rishid grabbed his arm.

The Thief's smile faded, "That wasn't me. I mean, I'm flattered that you think that I have those kind of reflexes, but I don't. In the state that Ryou was in, we were lucky he wasn't completely killed. Fortunately I believe I have everything sorted out."

Yugi was sitting nearly opposite from him in the big armchair, "What do you mean?"

The Thief looked him up and down for a moment, "Ryou's mind was fragmented. He was still functioning, but only barely. He had… dark tendencies that had to be walled up so to speak."

"So he _was_ planning on killing Anzu earlier, wasn't he?" Pegasus said.

"Probably. I don't know, I wasn't there at the time." The Thief was trying not to snicker.

Marik smiled at him, "So you're really back? And you're alright?"

He took a deep breath and got to his feet. "I'm back, but we're not entirely in the clear. Once he knows I've escaped, he might unleash his anger on the Pharoah, and I don't know if he'll survive such an assault."

Ishizu gasped, "But you said if we brought you back you would be able to help us reach him!"

"I did, and I will! Honestly, calm down. I get back and all of you are squabbling like dogs." His words must have hit a nerve, because the room went quiet. There was something else about him too. Yugi couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something seemed clearer about him.

"You're different, aren't you? Something has changed."

"I… yes. I suppose freedom does that." He blinked and turned from Yugi's gaze suddenly. "We'll have plenty of time to discuss that later though. Gods, do we really only have three Item Holders?"

"No, there's five of them," Marik said started counting them out. "The Eye, the Necklace, the Ring, the Puzzle…"

"Nevermind the Puzzle. It's useless in its current state. What about the Rod, are you wielding it?"

Marik shook his head.

"Kaiba has it," Yugi said. "But he's asleep. Taking it was really tough on him. He caught on fire and-"

"Wake him. He can lick his wounds later. We need to move quickly before the Stranger learns what's going on. I don't think he realizes you've gathered against him. He's too busy enjoying the Pharoah's energy."


	16. Straight Talk

The last person Kaiba expected to see when he next opened his eyes was Anzu. She was browsing her cell phone in a chair that had been pulled up to his bed. Of all the people who he thought might give the smallest interest in whether he lived or died, Anzu was probably the last one on that list. Well, second to last if you counted Joey. Her eyes flicked his way and she brightened.

"How are you feeling?"

He had to swallow down the dryness in his throat, "Singed."

"Your hands were burned, and part of your arms as well." She gestured toward them as though Kaiba didn't know where his own arms were. Though after she pointed them out to him, he couldn't hold back his surprise. Seeing his hands wrapped up in thick bandages and laying on his chest made him notice the pain. He of course tried to move his fingers, which only made them hurt worse.

"Damn…" he muttered, and laid them back down again. The first thing he thought was that it was going to be difficult to do any texting to Mokuba, and then he realized he wouldn't be able to type at all, and a cold ball of realization formed inside. He would be practically cut off from the world, and worse yet, he would have to rely on everyone else there to do things for him. At least Pegasus was there, but that was only a small consolation. He really didn't want to make Pegasus send texts to Mokuba, or type up emails for Kaiba Corp. Their relationship had been on rather equal terms before, and Kaiba wasn't sure if he wanted to ask Pegasus to lower himself to be his personal assistant. He should have brought a bodyguard or two, he realized for the second time since they had arrived in Egypt.

"It's not that bad," Anzu said. "I mean they thought you had burned a lot more than that. They said your arms were engulfed completely! Ishizu was thinking the bandages would only have to stay on for a few days, maybe a week at most."

Anzu probably thought she was helping, but the very thought of going a week without being able to type on his phone or even browse the internet was simply terrifying. "Just… shut up. I don't want to hear it."

Anzu's eyes went wide, but she didn't say a word. Kaiba knew he hadn't seen her in two years, but that was definitely not the typical Anzu response. If she was pissed, she would say so, and then regale you with all the reasons why you were a terrible person because of it. Kaiba had been on the opposite end of those talks so many times he could almost estimate her words. She looked just as angry this time, but something was holding her back. Something was keeping her mouth shut. Kaiba looked around the room, he didn't see anyone else there. Why was she so interested in being nice to him suddenly?

"What is it?" He asked, "Obviously you have something you want to talk about. I doubt the others were begging to watch over me while I was out."

She hung her head and looked away, obviously embarrassed.

Kaiba sighed and pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Just spit it out. You've probably been sitting here trying to figure out how to ask it for hours. I'm not likely to give you a second chance." He wanted to throw something in about wasting his time, but he was injured and really wouldn't be able to do any work for a week. How the hell could he say she was wasting _his_ time?

She gripped her legs and stared at the edge of the bed. "When you were taking up the Rod, I was… curious."

She paused, and Kaiba tried to fold his arms in annoyance, but found he couldn't with the pain, so he laid them at his sides instead. "Well?"

She looked up at him with tears threatening to pour. "Did you see the Pharoah there, I mean, Atem? I mean, when you fought that thing, did you actually see him?"

Kaiba narrowed his eyes, "Why?"

"Well… I mean, I… I just wanted to make sure he's still okay! They were saying he might not be alive, and…"

"He's a ghost. He's already dead."

"I know, but I want to make sure he's okay!"

She broke into sobs and Kaiba stared at her. This was absolutely pathetic. It had been two years, two long, boring years since the Pharoah died. Died without ever wanting to settle their competition, died without ever mentioning a word to him about… anything. It disgusted him to see Anzu here bawling her eyes out over a dead ancient Pharoah.

"Aren't you married?" He asked as coldly as possible.

She sniffled, "Yeah."

"So why are you so interested in the Pharoah's well-being?"

"Well, he's… he's a good friend. I'm worried about him."

"Do you really think he's going to come back and want to be in a relationship with you? Why would you even delude yourself into thinking-"

"Stop it!" Her tears had dried up quick with a bit of anger. "Just stop it! You don't know what you're talking about."

Kaiba leaned back against a pillow, actually starting to enjoy himself. "Oh I think I do. I'm pretty sure everyone knows why you were in such a hurry to get to Egypt. You probably wanted to be the first thing he saw when he came back. If he does come back, he'll have to use Yugi's body. So if you do try anything, Yugi will know every moment."

Her anger had slipped away into despair again, and she shook her head. "No, it won't be a problem. They both like me, I'm sure they-"

"You're sure they'll both not mind sharing you? Yugi might say as much, but you'd tear him apart. Your disregard for him is disgusting."

Anzu wiped at her eyes, "You're just jealous!"

Kaiba grinned, "Jealous? If you think I find you attractive, you're-"

She chuckled, "Not me, Kaiba, you've always had a thing for the Pharoah."

His smile faded and a flush came up to his cheeks. He wanted to yell at her, to spit back insults at her, to deny it, but the words simply wouldn't come, and all he could do was sit and fume as his mind grappled for how to respond.

"Every duel you two are just flirting like crazy. I mean, be honest with me, Kaiba. If he walked up to you and asked you to sleep with him, would you refuse?"

Kaiba leaned forward and aimed a bandaged hand in her direction. "Don't you ever insinuate something like that again, do you understand me? Dueling is completely different from your sick little love triangles. I wouldn't expect a spectator like you to understand what it's like to duel someone like him. All you see is attraction. It's not that simple, it's never that simple. Do you know why the Pharoah will never be interested in you? Because you don't understand dueling, you don't understand strategy. You're a sniveling little fan girl with about as much understanding of dueling as a fucking mop."

"Jeez guys!" Kaiba turned to see Joey standing in the doorway looking peeved. "I leave for a few minutes to talk to Mai and already you two are at each other's throats!"

Anzu burst into tears. Probably to get attention, too. Joey, being the ever dutiful friend put an arm around her shoulders and led her out of the room. Kaiba expected a few dirty looks thrown his way, but Joey was more concerned with Anzu. That was fine. Kaiba was just happy to have her out of the room. He leaned his head back against the headboard and closed his eyes. His head hurt. He hadn't realized it until now. His hands were useless, he wouldn't even be able to change out of these ridiculous clothes that he had borrowed from Pegasus on his own. Beside him he could feel the sharp edge of the Millennium Rod against his leg. What was he thinking volunteering to take it? He was being ridiculous, trying to help out someone like the Pharoah. Who had he chosen at the end when he knew he was going to die? Yugi, not him. What the hell was he doing here? These weren't his friends; these people didn't even like him. He suddenly felt overwhelmed by it all: the Rod, the bandages, Anzu's sobs from the hallway.

Then he thought of Mokuba and gave a heavy sigh. They were arguing still, he was mostly certain of it. The fact that he hadn't picked up the phone earlier when his big brother had called was the definitive answer to that question. It wasn't like he could call him. Someone had placed his phone on the nightstand, and he scooped it over to the bed and jabbed a bandaged thumb at the power button so he could see if he missed a call. Nothing. Not even a text.

"Want me to help you with that, Kaiba?" Joey had made his way back into the room and shut the door behind him. He couldn't hear Anzu in the hallway anymore, but that didn't mean she wasn't out there.

"Your help? No, I'm good, thanks." He hoped his terseness would force him to leave, but Joey sat down in the chair beside his bed. Kaiba glared at his every step, "What are you doing?"

"Having a seat. You feeling any better?"

Was this some kind of a joke? Anzu bursting into tears, he wasn't too surprised about, but Joey's kindness was more alarming than a punch to the jaw. That he would expect.

Joey nodded and leaned back in his chair. "Look, I'm not wanting to fight with you or anything."

"Why?" Kaiba smirked, "Afraid I'll make you cry too?"

Joey tensed but didn't make a move. Since when did Joey not take the bait when it was rolled out to him? When had he picked up some maturity?

"You know," Joey said, his eyes focused on the wall across the room. "A couple years back I thought you were the biggest jerk around, you know it? Especially when you threatened to punch Yugi like that before their final duel." He glanced at Kaiba, and despite himself, Kaiba had to turn away. He hadn't really planned on punching Yugi, of course, it was merely a threat. Sometimes you needed to pull out a bit more than words to get what you wanted, but it hadn't worked. Yugi would have taken a beating, plenty of beatings, without once fighting back. It was like trying to kick your own puppy.

"What changed your mind?"

Joey grinned, "I found somebody that was even more infuriating than you are. The difference was, I love her and learned to put up with it."

"Are you talking about Mai?"

He nodded and leaned forward to prop his elbows on his knees. "Even though you're the poster kid for jerks, I think deep down you're a nice guy."

Kaiba outright laughed, "A nice guy? I think Anzu doesn't quite agree with you."

"Aw, that's not you. Don't even try to claim that one." His face darkened, and for a moment he looked far older than he really was, "I think Anzu's been fighting that for a while now. I figured she would break down at some point about him. I mean the Pharoah, of course."

"She's an idiot." Kaiba again tried to fold his arms across his chest, but failed miserably.

"Nah, she's just confused is all. She's allowed to be confused once in a while."

Confused over who she cared about? Shouldn't she have figured that out when she got married? Pegasus came to his mind suddenly, and a ball of guilt formed in his chest. Sure, they had been in a relationship a few months back, but neither of them really tried to keep it going when it dwindled off. Though when Pegasus slipped in next to him on the jet, Kaiba hadn't argued against it. Hell, he'd been pleased to see that Pegasus still wanted to be with him.

Joey picked up Kaiba's phone on the edge of the bed. "Were you wanting to call somebody? I can help if you want."

Kaiba shook his head, "It doesn't matter."

He could feel Joey staring at him as seconds ticked by. "You know, it doesn't hurt to give him another call. He's going to want to hear from you when he finds out what happened."

Kaiba stiffened. Joey was right, but damn, if this wasn't a strange turn of events. Who would have thought Joey would be willing to ever help him out, or be interested in mending this with Mokuba?

"Alright. Give him a call."

Joey nodded, but frowned. "Oh, uh. Can you tell me your code to unlock this thing?"

Joey turned it around to show the lock screen waiting for his personal code. Kaiba cursed. Joey was perhaps the last person in the world he wanted to give his unlock code to, but he rattled off the ten digit number. Joey had to ask for it again another two times before he got it entered.

"If you ever unlock that thing without my permission-" Kaiba growled.

"I'm sure you'll stake my head up outside of Kaiba Land somewhere." Joey smiled, "The only prop that's not a hologram! Okay, here we go."

Kaiba told him where to hit the speaker phone and listened to Mokuba's phone ring on the other end. His body felt rigid as he listened to the tone once, twice, three times. He was about to tell Joey to turn it off, when there was noise on the other end.

"Nii-sama?"

Kaiba smiled and felt the tension leave him. Joey put the phone down on the bed and whispered, "I'll be outside if you need me."

"I doubt I will."

Joey just arched his eyebrows with an amused expression. As soon as they were alone, Kaiba began recounting all that had happened to his little brother. It felt good to have someone he could actually talk to.

To Be Concluded in Painful Memories: Part IV: The Stranger


End file.
